Roger Federer recently revealed that all four of his children have, understandably, developed an interest in tennis and are trying to follow him and become pros. His kids are already training at high levels, hoping to emulate their father. Federer, however, expressed concern that his children may get burnt out because of their intense training schedule.
This is not the first time Federer has opened up about the rigours of playing tennis. He discussed the increasingly demanding nature of the sport, saying tennis is changing. Federer, in his two-decade-long career, has seen tennis evolve multifold and seems thankful to be on the sidelines now. After his 2023 Wimbledon tribute, he said he was ‘content’ with being retired and not playing.
Roger Federer vocal about balance in life
Federer played his first junior match at 14 and turned pro at 16 in 1998 and till his retirement in 2022, gave his everything to tennis. He began tennis coaching at the age of six, having six sessions a week in and around Basel. After emerging as a top talent, he received private coaching at The Old Boys Tennis Club from the age of 10.
Federer was enormously gifted and in 1996, joined the Swiss National Tennis Center in Écublens. There, he played two or three tournaments a month and practised for six hours a week as a 14-year-old.
Presently, Federer talked about his twin sons’ training schedules. Leo and Lenny, both aged 9, attended a camp at the Rafa Nadal Academy in Mallorca. Now, though, the twins practice tennis four times a week (via Sportskeeda). Federer believed that this was too intense for his children and did not allow enough time for other activities. He claimed an early intervention is key to preventing burn-outs and said he remains cautious about his children’s tennis activity.
“I think everything has moved forward. I’m seeing this with my children right now. My nine-year-old sons are now scheduled to play tennis four times a week. I think that’s too much. When is there still time for the other things?
“You always intervene earlier in order to ideally prepare the characters for what is to come. That can be positive and negative, but I’m more cautious.”
Federer’s twin daughters, Myla and Charlene, also visited John McEnroe’s academy, indicating the Swiss legend wants to keep his children in touch with the game. However, his remarks prove that he keeps a watchful eye on their training and does not let them overdo it and fatigue themselves. As someone who trained hard and devoted himself to the sport, Federer knows the sacrifices and the toll it takes. As a doting father, he would naturally want to ensure his children do not suffer because of the sport and have time to pursue other interests as well.
Roger Federer himself as a person seems to enjoy his private life. This makes him relatable to people who advocate not just focusing on work but also having fun off it equally. He seems to love different cuisines, as recently seen during his visit to an Indian-Parsi restaurant in London. Plus, Federer is a fan of different cultures which is seen in his adventures in countries such as USA, China, Japan, South Africa and others.
After a change of heart, Federer is now against tight schedules and training
Previously, Roger Federer seemed indifferent to players having tight schedules. In 2018, he defended the ATP Tour calendar when some players complained about the packed season. He said rather than removing tournaments to shorten the tour, players and their teams should evaluate their fitness and priorities and play only selected events.
Federer said tennis players are lucky that they are not bound to participate and can walk out of any tournament (via tennisnow.com). For example, the Swiss maestro had skipped the French Open in the mid-2010s for a few years to keep himself fresh, which made him perhaps play above the age of 35. But Rafael Nadal had slammed him in 2012 for not supporting players against tight schedules.
However, Federer now seems to have turned over a new leaf as a father. He is advocating for leniency in schedule and training programmes. As he continues to remain invested in tennis even after retirement, the 20-time Majors winner could use his influence to make a difference for active players. It is not unlikely to imagine Federer returning to an administrative or a major coaching role to make lives easier for players.
