Roger Federer says he became the "family quarterback" during the pandemic, reveals he "communicated with Rafael Nadal in particular"
Roger Federer recently spoke at length about his off-court life during the ongoing pandemic, revealing that he would often have conversations with his good friend Rafael Nadal.
Federer's knee injury and subsequent relapse ensured that he had to stay away from the tour for a good part of 2020. But that gave the 39-year-old plenty of time for his family, friends and household chores, among other things.
In a recent interview with Numero, Roger Federer detailed the activities he indulged in during his rehabilitation period. The Swiss star revealed that watching films and TV shows wasn't usually part of his daily itinerary; instead, he would try and get involved in home decisions that his usual tennis life doesn't allow him to.
"No, I haven't 'binged' that much, neither movies nor series," Roger Federer said. "I was busy becoming the family quarterback, for once. In my tennis life, I make the big decisions and people manage the day-to-day for me. There, I was really happy to pilot details with my wife, to think of things for the children, the garden, the house."
Roger Federer still managed to keep in touch with ATP throughout this period though, and frequently touched base with his good friend Rafael Nadal.
The eight-time Wimbledon champion further mentioned that living a non-tennis life was relaxing, as he didn't need to depend on on-court results for his daily life decisions.
"I made video meetings with ATP, I communicated with Rafa [Nadal] in particular," Federer continued. "In my normal life, everything was improvised based on the results. I often left at the last minute, took out my things and put them back together. Since the confinement, I have had time."
Roger Federer then pointed out how the pandemic has given a new layer of meaning to the daily pleasantries exchanged by people. According to the Swiss, you previously wouldn't give too much thought to answer a question about your well-being, but that is no longer the case.
Federer asserted that he himself hadn't suffered much during the last year, either in terms of the pandemic or the knee injury. However, the 39-year-old couldn't say the same about his wife Mirka.
"Before, we would say 'Hi, how are you?', the other would quickly answer and move on," Federer said. "Today that makes sense. Everyone knows at least one person who has caught the virus, we hope not to catch it, the whole world is in the same situation. Having said that, to be completely honest, I am doing very well despite the crazy 12 months I just had: two knee operations and a pandemic. With my wife, it turned into a downturn year."
It was super strange at first, now we know how to deal with it: Roger Federer on quarantine rules
Turning his attention to the quarantine period in Switzerland, Roger Federer acknowledged that most weeks would be devoid of any excitement. He did make it a point to mention, however, that all the rules had been strictly followed in his country.
Federer revealed that it was 'nice' to be in Switzerland for an extended period, which his otherwise-packed schedule seldom allows.
"Sometimes whole weeks went by without any particular event," Federer said. "We have strictly followed the rules here in Switzerland. Besides, it was nice to come back to my country where, in general, I don't spend more than three months a year. The only time I've been here for a long time was in 2016, already because of my knee. We were able to see our close friends and relatives, but rather outside. It was super strange at first, now we know how to deal with it."