Could there be a Federer playing tennis 20 years later as well? If Roger Federer’s recent comments are to go by, his kids may actually be taking their first steps towards making that a reality.
Federer and wife Mirka, also a former tennis player, had identical twins Myla Rose and Charlene Riva in 2009 and another set, Leo and Lenny in 2014. All four of his children accompany them on tour and are often seen in the stands cheering their father. It turns out, the four of them are also learning tennis basics, along with their friends and the boys have often been spotted on the practice courts, hitting with the 20-time Grand Slam champion.
At the ongoing ATP Finals, the Swiss player revealed that his four-year-old twin boys have starting getting better at tennis.
“They’re only four, yes, but they’ve played for a few years now. We roll the ball and hit it along the ground. The ball can bounce a bit more and they can whack it over the net sometimes. The girls also play a little bit,” Federer told CNN Sport.
The 37-year-old has spoken in the past about how his kids took up tennis only because the children of the family’s friends play the sport and he didn’t want them to feel left out.
“Actually we like them to play a bit because all the friends we have and their kiddies, they all play tennis and it would be a shame if my kids are the only ones who wouldn’t play tennis,” he added, in London.
He has maintained that he would be wary of his twins becoming professional players, only because it would mean 25 more years on the tennis circuit, travelling across the globe.
“I hope they don’t just because we don’t need another 25 years on tour,” he had said at the Australian Open when asked if he would encourage them to be professional players.
But he did say that he will support them, no matter what they choose. “No, I’m just a supportive parent. I can’t tell which direction they’re going to go. If there’s going to be anything in sports or somewhere in finance or business, I have no idea where they’re going to go. All I know is I’ll be incredibly supportive of them.”
Well, if either of the four do decide to further the legacy, they can be assured of top-notch mentoring at least.
Watch the interview here:
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