The retired tennis pro is dad to twin daughters Myla and Charlene, 14, and twin sons Lenny and Leo, 9 with wife Mirka
While speaking to the WSJ. Magazine, the tennis champ, 42, opened up about his life in retirement and discussed how his kids feel about the sport that made him famous.
“All four kids love it,” he told the outlet. “The girls didn’t love it in the beginning but as they got 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.”
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Roger Federer Says He Would’ve ‘Had to Retire 10 Years Ago’ If He Couldn’t Bring Kids on the Road
Asked if he ever coaches his kids, Federer shared, “When I have time — and I try to make the time — I go on the court with them a little bit.”
“It’s obviously an interesting dynamic, because I’m the dad, and not a former player. It is what it is,” the retired tennis pro added.
Federer shares his four kids — twin daughters Myla and Charlene, 14, and twin sons Lenny and Leo, 9 — with wife Mirka, 45.
Last year, Federer sat down with Today after announcing his retirement from tennis and opened up about how being a dad of four kept him “hungry” on the tennis court.
“I have twin girls, as you know, Myla and Charlene. They were born in ’09, just after I became, I think it was world No. 1,” he told Savannah Guthrie. “The girls were born and from that moment on, 2010 and 2011, I didn’t win any slam. I remember changing diapers, bathing the girls and just being a dad.”
He continued, “But then when the boys were born, I mean, that rocked the boat, obviously, because going on the road with four kids every single week was hard, to say the least.”
“And from being maybe the dominator, I became the challenger,” he shared. “And I liked that role, as well. I actually really stayed hungry throughout.”
Federer also spoke about taking his kids on the road with him throughout his career, noting it was a no-brainer.
“Oh, it was the only way,” he said. “I said, ‘Never would I go on the road without my kids.’ I’d rather retire [than travel without them]. Then I would’ve had to retire 10 years ago.”
