"All 4 love tennis" - Roger Federer reveals his daughters have trained at John McEnroe's academy while his boys have attended a camp at Rafael Nadal's
Roger Federer recently revealed that all four of his children have started taking an interest in tennis, even attending camps and training in major academies around the world. While his twin daughters have been to John McEnroe's academy in East Hampton, his twin sons have attended a training camp at Rafael Nadal's academy in Mallorca.
Speaking in a recent interview with the Wall Street Journal, the recently retired Swiss star admitted that he doesn't play tennis anymore except for when he playing with his kids. Other than that, he occasionally picks up the racquet when on vacation with his friends, more for exercise purposes than for the thrill of competition.
"I don't play much tennis anymore, other than with the kids. As a former player, to book a court and get someone to hit with you is a process, so you end up not doing it. On vacation, I just played with our friends in the Hamptons. I'm not super competitive. It's just nice to be out there and then sit on the terrace and let the sweat go a bit," Roger Federer said.
The 20-time Grand Slam champion then shed light on how his children have taken to the sport, revealing that while his girls were initially not big fans, they have started enjoying the sport now.
"All four kids love it. The girls didn't love it in the beginning but as they get better, they're enjoying it and playing points now. They were up at [John] McEnroe Academy in East Hampton, and the boys were in Mallorca at the [Rafael Nadal] camp for a couple of days," Federer said.
Roger Federer on the growth of pickleball in the United States: "As a tennis player, I'm very happy these racket sports are growing"
Roger Federer also touched on the growth of pickleball in the United States, stating that he was happy to see other racquet sports gain popularity as well. At the same time, he hoped it would not come at the cost of tennis facilities.
Personally, however, the Swiss maestro hasn't tried pickleball yet, as it would impact his knees more adversely than practicing tennis.
"As a tennis player, I'm very happy these racket sports are growing. Pickle is easier than tennis, and I think that's great. I've watched some highlights of Jack Sock playing doubles, and I enjoyed it. I just hope that not too many tennis courts will be lost because all these pickleball courts were built," Federer said.
"I haven't tried it because of the knees, and also because I haven't come across many courts. But I've played paddle twice, and I played squash with my dad growing up, so I have played easier tennis games," he added.