"When Mirka says ‘Roger Federer, enough with tennis,’ he would do it to please her"- When Swiss' biographer spoke on his wife's role behind retirement
Roger Federer's biographer, Rene Stauffer, once highlighted the important role his wife, Mirka, played in his decision to retire. According to Stauffer, if Mirka had ever told Federer it was time to call it quits, he would have immediately followed her advice.
Federer had a remarkable career spanning over two decades, during which he won 20 Grand Slam titles and held the No. 1 spot in the ATP Rankings for a record 237 weeks, among other achievements.
The 43-year-old took an extended break from tennis after his quarterfinal loss to Hubert Hurkacz at the 2021 Wimbledon Championships. A year later, he announced his retirement, choosing the Laver Cup—an event founded by his management company, TEAM8, and modeled after the Ryder Cup—as the stage for his farewell in late 2022.
In an interview with CLAY ahead of Roger Federer's retirement announcement in August 2022, Stauffer discussed various aspects of the Swiss legend's life, including the influence of his wife, Mirka. The veteran author highlighted how Mirka, a former tennis player herself, played a crucial role in Federer's decision-making, saying:
"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. 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 added.
Roger Federer says his "priority" is to spend time with wife Mirka and their children after retirement
Roger Federer appeared on Trevor Noah's 'The Daily Show' in December 2022, where he discussed life after retirement. He shared that his "priority" was to spend more time with his children and wife, Mirka, as he transitioned away from professional tennis.
"I think I have to take the time to make the next move. I’m anyway still very busy," he said.
The Swiss Maestro added:
"I mean, I have four children, and they mean everything to me. Twin boys that are 8 and twin girls that are 13. So that needs to be my priority with my wonderful wife, Mirka. She’s been with me every step of the way. So, I’m really looking forward to what’s next."
Federer and Mirka have four children: identical twin girls Myla and Charlene, who are 15, and fraternal twin boys Leo and Lenny, who are 10.