"Every wife is important, mine is no different" - When Roger Federer opened up about the importance of his 'amazing' wife Mirka in his career and life
Roger Federer once candidly discussed the importance of his wife Mirka in both his tennis career and life beyond the sport.
After dating for nine years, Federer and Mirka tied the knot at the Wenkenhof Villa near Basel in April 2009. The couple welcomed twin girls, Myla Rose and Charlene, in July of that same year, while their twin sons, Leo and Lenny, were born in 2014.
Having enjoyed his wife Mirka's support for most of his professional life, Roger Federer emphasized the importance of her role in his career following his 6-2, 7-6(5) win over Paul-Henri Mathieu 6-2, 7-6(5) in his opening match at the 2014 Indian Wells Masters.
The Swiss emphasized her "intense" involvement in his career, acknowledging that while it had diminished slightly since they became parents, she had been by his side for "900 matches" and was a constant presence during his practice sessions and meals.
"I think every wife is important. Mine is no different. You know, she's been involved to some degree as of late, but I guess more involved, you know, midway through our relationship just because she came to every practice, every match, spent breakfast, lunch, and dinner together for years," he said in his post-match press conference.
"I mean, still very intense today, but just we have kids now, and, you know, she's seen 900 matches, I guess. She's okay missing one once in a while and not coming to the practices anymore," he added.
Federer also lavished praise on his "amazing" wife for her understanding of his decisions.
"Yeah, she's been amazing. But at the same time, I also have to be able to take decisions all by myself and, you know, do what's best for me as a tennis player," he said.
"Of course, in the back of my mind I always have family and friends and everything, but, you know, you can't always run everything by Mirka. Anyway, I take decisions in the team, but as a leader I also have to take decisions myself," he added.
Roger Federer: "I'm happy that Mirka always thought in the best interest for me and my career"
In the same press conference, Roger Federer expressed his gratitude to his wife Mirka for always prioritizing what was in the best interests of his career and not discouraging him from traveling extensively on tour.
"But she's been very important in my life, not just as a tennis player but overall. I'm happy that she always thought in the best interest for me and my career and never pulled me away. It would have been easy for her to say, Look, can we not change it up or do different?" he said.
The Swiss also disclosed that, unlike other players whose wives discouraged them from touring, Mirka's only request was for them to spend as much time together as possible.
"I hear stories, you know, some guys don't get allowed to travel maybe three, four weeks on the stretch in a row somewhere. The only request she had is we can spend as much as time as possible together, which is what I wanted anyway," he added.
On the tennis front, Federer enjoyed success at the 2014 Indian Wells Masters, making a run to the final, where he suffered a 3-6, 6-3, 7-6(3) loss to Novak Djokovic.