"Mirka's dream, mine too, was always to have a kid seeing me play while I'm active" - When Roger Federer shared his excitement about becoming a father
Roger Federer once opened up about his excitement over his impending fatherhood while his wife, Mirka, was pregnant.
Federer and Mirka's love story began after they met each other for the first time at the 2000 Sydney Olympics, both representing Switzerland. After a nine-year courtship, they tied the knot at the Wenkenhof Villa in Basel on April 11, 2009, with their first child on the way that same year.
Speaking ahead of his campaign at the 2009 Sony Ericsson Open (now known as the Miami Open), Roger Federer shared that while he hadn't sought any advice from former players Pete Sampras and Tim Henman, he had received congratulatory messages from both of them.
"I haven't actually spoken to them [Pete Sampras and Tim Henman], but they both congratulated me. That's nice," Federer said in a press conference.
The Swiss also discussed balancing his career with his family life, disclosing that he intended to maintain his focus on tennis even after becoming a father, which was an agreed-upon decision between him and Mirka.
"No, I think it's up to me, you know, to make the right decisions. I'm sure I'm still going to be very, very focused, you know, in the game of tennis. That's what Mirka wants, anyway, as well. That's a good thing," he said.
Federer then revealed that it had been his and Mirka's dream to have their child watch him compete from the sidelines, expressing excitement about that dream becoming a reality.
"I think it's just going to be more fun, you know, even. I think it's going to motivate me and inspire me, you know, seeing how the child grows and so forth, you know," he said.
"And Mirka's dream, especially mine too in a way, was always to maybe one day have maybe, you know, a kid on the sideline seeing me play while I'm still active. I think there's a great possibility now, and so I'm excited about that. That's why even more so I want to play for a long time," he added.
Roger Federer: "I'm very excited, so is Mirka, we're looking forward to see how it's going to impact our lives"
During the press conference, Roger Federer also disclosed that he and his wife, Mirka, were greatly looking forward to seeing how the arrival of a child would impact their lives.
"Well, you know, I'm very excited, you know, so is Mirka. We're looking forward to see how it's going to, you know, impact, you know, our lives," he said.
The Swiss shared his belief that it was the right time for them to expand their family, as he had gained valuable insights from spending time with children in recent years.
"You know, I hung around quite a few kids, you know, last few years, so it's been fun seeing, you know, how it all works. You know, before that, I was, you know, young myself. So I think it's sort of the right time now for us to do this move, and, yeah, we'll see how it goes," he added.
Roger Federer and his wife Mirka welcomed twin daughters, named Myla Rose and Charlene, in July 2009, followed by a set of twin boys, Leo and Lenny, in 2014.