• More than half-a-billion people in 45 countries see Hopman Cup winner's quokka selfie
• Tennis ace lobs Rottnest Island firmly into global tourism market, helping boost our local economy 

World number two men's singles tennis player, and 2018 Mastercard Hopman Cup winner, Roger Federer's lovable quokka selfie has reached 581 million people in 45 countries through global online news.

On the request of Tourism Minister Paul Papalia, the Swiss tennis star flew to Rottnest Island by helicopter on December 28, 2017, exploring Parakeet Bay, before heading inland to find a quokka to achieve his 'bucket list' goal of mingling with the marsupial.

He posted a shot on his Instagram account with the message 'nice to meet you', and referenced his furry friend with the hashtags #newpal, #westernaustralia, #rottnestisland, and #happyquokka.

The Instagram post has attracted 525,000 likes, 5,000 comments and was shared 2,500 times, reaching 5.3 million people across Facebook and Twitter. A personal Instagram record for the sporting superstar. 

It also made headlines in newspapers and on news websites around the world, appearing in 239 publications in the United Kingdom, 53 in Switzerland, 45 in Colombia, 30 in the United States and 41 across Australia, with the post reported on in 13 different languages.

The State Government, through Tourism Western Australia, has been a proud sponsor of the Hopman Cup since its inception in 1989.