"When she says enough with tennis, I think he would do it to please her" - Swiss journalist and writer Rene Stauffer on wife Mirka's influence on Roger Federer
Rene Stauffer, a Swiss journalist and author of two biographies on Roger Federer, believes that the Swiss maestro's wife Mirka will play a very important role in his future, be it in his comeback or him calling it a day on his career.
Mirka, a former tennis player, and Federer first met at the 2000 Sydney Olympics. They got married in 2009 and have four kids together. She has been a constant presence in his player's box over the years and the pair have had a very strong relationship.
Stauffer, a tennis correspondent and author of two biographies on the Swiss maestro, spoke to CLAY magazine about the role Mirka plays in Federer's life today.
"She is the person who supports everything, who takes care of her children’s education, something that Roger now takes care of very conscientiously. The most important point is that when she says ‘Roger, enough with tennis, don’t try it anymore, take care of other things’, I think he would do it to please her," he said.
He stated that Federer's comeback, which is expected to happen at the Laver Cup this year, will only happen with her support.
"So she is a decisive factor, and she has to be ready for him to come back, she has to support him, otherwise it’s not going to work," he said.
A nice reminder: Mirka Vavrinec, Roger Federer's wife, is a former WTA player who achieved a career high ranking of world No. 76 in 2001. She once reached US Open third round. Retired in 2002 at the age of 24 due to a persistent foot injury 😢 https://t.co/AkVdIf6lkt
Stauffer added that Roger Federer has the full support of his wife in what he will do next.
"Absolutely [she supports him], because she herself is very much in love with tennis, she cut her career prematurely. She’s still living it through Roger’s career. She comes from the sport, and that helps Roger a lot," he said.
Roger Federer and wife Mirka seen practicing together
Roger Federer recently took to Instagram to post an image of himself keenly watching his wife Mirka in action on a tennis court. He held a tennis racquet while on the sidelines, indicating that it could have been a joint practice session.
Mirka is a former tennis pro who was once ranked as high as No. 76. She was forced to retire in 2002 due to a persistent foot injury. She took part in eight Grand Slams, with her best performance coming at the 2001 US Open, where she reached the third round before losing to sixth seed Justine Henin.
Mirka and Federer, in fact, teamed up in 2002 for the Hopman Cup. The pair lost their respective singles matches to Lleyton Hewitt and Alicia Molik and did not fare any better in the doubles, losing to the Australian duo in straight sets.