Hard to guess maybe, but there are heartwarming stories to come out of the Covid-19 crisis. One such story is that of Carola and Vittoria, two young girls from Liguria who became famous after ATP, the association of professional tennis player, posted a video on its social media accounts of the two playing tennis on the rooftop of their homes in Finale Ligure. It was April 20, when Italy was still under a strict lockdown that forbade people from going out except for grocery shopping and emergencies.
The video went viral with almost seven million views on Twitter, 1.3 million views on Facebook and almost 450,000 views on Instagram within a day of publishing, reports the ATP.
Just incredible to see ?
— ATP Tour (@atptour) April 18, 2020
? Liguria, Italy ?? | #tennisathome pic.twitter.com/dh8bqlvFhj
Well, the girls, 13 and 11 years old, got quite a surprise on July 10. As they were giving an on-screen interview, one of the greatest tennis players of all time, Roger Federer, showed up on the very same rooftop where the girls played during the lockdown.
“The 38-year-old Swiss was touched by the young Italians' perseverance during the COVID-19 lockdown,” reports the ATP website.
“Personally for me, that was a very special moment in my career as a tennis player,” Federer said in a video that was made of the surprise visit. “To surprise a fan, or children, like I was able to with Carola and Vittoria today.”
Carola and Vittoria could not contain their excitement. They played tennis on the rooftop with Federer, in the same way they had done during the quarantine, a symbol of resilience and optimism that touched a cord with many.
A few passing of the ball and selfies later, the three had lunch together.
Vittoria and Carola received another nice surprise when they learned that Federer, in partnership with Barilla, the pasta manufacturer and one of Federer’s sponsors, is sending them to the Rafa Nadal Academy by Movistar for summer camp.
Watch the video of the story below.
