"He put 5 francs & said 'I'm leaving'...I waited for an hour": When Roger Federer recalled his father's frustration at his 'temperamental' attitude
Roger Federer once recounted an anecdote about his father Robert showing him some tough love after becoming annoyed by his volatile temper. The Swiss said the transformative moment marked the beginning of a shift in his behavior.
Although Federer was known for his calm and graceful persona on the court for most of his career, he had a notoriously fiery temper during his early years. The Swiss frequently smashed his rackets, argued with umpires, and let his frustration boil over in matches, much to the dismay of his parents.
In a 2016 video for Nike, Roger Federer recalled a time when he "frustrated" his father so much with his "temperamental attitude" that Robert handed him five Swiss Francs and left him behind after a training session.
"I was playing with my dad and my attitude was always very temperamental and maybe not the best at times. And my dad would get frustrated. He said 'I don't enjoy playing with you like that.' So he put five Swiss Francs on the bench next to me and said 'I'm leaving, I'll see you at home,'" Federer said.
Federer humorously admitted that he couldn't believe his father had actually left, waiting for an hour in the hopes that Robert would return. After eventually checking the parking lot and finding it empty, he was forced to take a 45-minute bus ride home, giving him plenty of time to reflect on his behavior.
The Swiss joked that, in a "cute way," this incident was the beginning of his journey toward becoming a calmer, more composed player.
"And I couldn't believe he left me there because it was gonna be like a 45 minute bus ride back home. So I waited for like an hour until he came back and he never showed up. And I realized he had actually left when I checked the car park. In a cute way, that's how it all started," he added.
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Roger Federer on throwing his rackets as a junior: "My parents were ashamed of me and told me they would no longer accompany me to any tournament"
Roger Federer ran into a similar situation with his father Robert and mother Lynette while competing in juniors. In a 2020 interview with German outlet Zeit, the Swiss disclosed that his parents were so "ashamed" of his tendency to throw his racket that they told him they would no longer attend his matches.
"When I was a junior, I only criticized myself and with each exchange, I threw my racquet. My parents were ashamed of me and told me that they would no longer accompany me to any tournament," he said.
The 20-time Grand Slam champion also reflected on a 2001 match in Hamburg, where he presented a very "bad image" of himself by smashing his racket. The disappointed reactions of his family and team prompted the Swiss to realize that he needed to change his behavior.
Federer disclosed that he sought the help of a psychologist and began the "long process" of learning how to strike the perfect balance between being passionate and calm on the court.
"I remember a match against Franco Squillari in Hamburg 2001 (lost 6-3, 6-4), where I had given a very bad image of myself. I was playing badly and ended up breaking my racquet," he said.
"I saw how my family, my staff and my trainers looked at me and I felt that I could never again have this behavior on a court. I realized that I definitely had to change. It was a long process and I got help from a psychologist. It took me two years to find the perfect balance between passion and calm," he added.
Roger Federer has remained close to his parents since his retirement from tennis in 2022. In a 2023 interview, the Swiss legend's father Robert shared that he and Lynette enjoyed taking trips to the mountains with the 20-time Grand Slam champion and his four children.