"When I met her I had 0 titles, so she’s been on this ride for the whole time" - When Roger Federer reflected on his wife Mirka's role in his success
Roger Federer once reflected on the role his wife, Mirka, played in his tennis success. The Swiss also spoke about how she had witnessed all the ups and downs of his tennis journey, having supported him every step of the way.
Federer first met Mirka at the 2000 Sydney Olympics, while they were both representing Switzerland in tennis. He was 18 years old to Mirka's 21 at the time, which prompted an amusing exchange when they had their first kiss.
In an interview with The Guardian in 2016, the Swiss recounted that Mirka called him "a baby" when they kissed for the first time at the Olympics. Nevertheless, the two left the sporting event as a couple.
"She’s always been older than me. When I kissed her for the first time, she said, 'You’re so young.' I said, 'Well, I’m almost 18 and a half.' You know how you try to shove another half year in? And she was like, 'OK, you’re a baby,'" he said.
Two years later, in 2002, Mirka had to give up her tennis career because of a serious foot injury. She then pivoted to taking care of Roger Federer's travel arrangements and public relations while accompanying him on the tour.
The Swiss acknowledged how much Mirka had contributed to his success, pointing out that she had been with him since the very beginning, before he had even won a single tour-level title.
"When I met her I had zero titles, today I have 88, so she’s been on this ride for the whole time," he said.
Federer has often expressed gratitude to his wife for being willing to travel with their four children, Charlene, Myla Rose, Leo, and Lenny, to support him on tour. He also disclosed that Mirka's efforts and company kept him from feeling lonely amid the demanding tour schedule.
Roger Federer on wife Mirka's intense training sessions: "She was tough, she taught me how to work"
During the same interview, Roger Federer expressed admiration for his wife Mirka's work ethic. He disclosed that he would often watch Mirka practice for six hours straight, admitting that he found it difficult to imagine himself doing the same.
The Swiss confessed that he would get himself thrown out of practice for poor behavior because he became mentally drained after only an hour. However, he credited Mirka for her strength and for teaching him the importance of hard work.
"She used to train five, six hours in a row. Her parents had to work extremely hard. She was tough, and she taught me how to work. I would be at the tennis centre and see her do six-hour sessions, and I’d think, I can’t do that. I’d check out mentally after an hour and go, this is so boring. So I’d get kicked out of practice for bad behaviour," he said.
Despite his awe over her training, Roger Federer expressed his belief that Mirka had "over-practiced," which resulted in her career-ending injury. The Swiss revealed that he adopted a "less is more" method for his training to avoid making the same mistake.