"If my girls can't stand it, I'll take it off.. my wife's fine with it" - When Roger Federer joked about his unusual unshaven look
Roger Federer once spoke about his unusual unshaven look. He mentioned that even though his wife Mirka was fine with it, he would shave it off if his twin daughters, Charlene and Myla, didn’t like it.
Federer was known for his clean-shaven look throughout most of his tennis career. On rare occasions, he did appear with some facial hair, but it was never a consistent part of his appearance. He preferred a polished and professional look on the court, which became part of his signature style.
One such occasion was during the 2015 ATP Finals, where Federer reached the final after winning his group-stage matches against Novak Djokovic, Tomas Berdych, and Kei Nishikori. He then defeated Stan Wawrinka in the semifinals to set up a title bout with Djokovic, which he lost.
After his win over Nishikori, Roger Federer was asked by the media about his bearded look and whether he planned to keep it to maintain his winning streak. He responded that he hadn’t thought much about it and would shave it off if necessary.
"Don’t know yet," Federer told the media. "If it itches too much, I’ll take it off. If my girls can’t stand it, I’ll take it off. If I look in the mirror and I don’t like it, I’ll take it off. Maybe I’ll think of Santa and keep it. It’s around the corner. I don’t know yet."
When asked whether his wife Mirka approved, the 20-time Grand Slam champion replied:
"Yeah, she’s fine with it. I mean, yeah, she’s okay, I guess. I do make decision by myself sometimes (smiling). I don’t know about your wife, but I’m allowed to."
Roger Federer says spending time with his children and wife is his "priority" after retirement
Roger Federer retired in 2022 after an illustrious career spanning over two decades. His final professional match took place at the Laver Cup, where he teamed up with his longtime rival Rafael Nadal for doubles.
After hanging up his racquet, Federer appeared on Trevor Noah's The Daily Show later that year and shared that, with more time on his hands, his "priority" was to spend more time with his wife and children.
"I think I have to take the time to make the next move. I’m anyway still very busy. I mean, I have four children, and they mean everything to me. Twin boys that are 8 and twin girls that are 13," the Swiss legend said.
"So that needs to be my priority with my wonderful wife, Mirka. She’s been with me every step of the way. So, I’m really looking forward to what’s next," he added.