Roger Federer: My wife Mirka has always been an incredible support

Record 20-time Grand Slam champion Roger Federer admits his wife Mirka has been an incredible support for him over the years and he appreciates her willingness to sacrifice some things.

Federer's wife Mirka is a former tennis player but her career didn't last long as she retired at a very young age and the whole focus was shifted on Federer's career.

"That‘s a good question. I would say that when I wouldn‘t have been around her she would have stopped her career with 22 or 23. She invested everything," Federer said in Sportpanorama on SRF Sport. "She started playing tennis when she was 11. She had bad surgeries and didn‘t return good from rehabilitation. She had always problems with her heels and never truly recovered from it. Until today she feels little there. I think realistically she would have undergo another surgery and tried to come back, even if it would have taken 2 years. 

"It was easy for her this way though to decide. I said to her: 'Don‘t you maybe want to stop? We could be together the whole time then and have a great time.' Then I won Wimbledon and when I look back, I once talked with her about it, it‘s incredible what you did and she said: 'No problem,' She just put her career aside and said: 'This is more important for me. We can build something fantastic together.' 

Interview with Roger in "Sportpanorama" on SRF on July, 25th Read: https://t.co/2l2qfKfRba

— Doris (@DorisLaRubia) July 26, 2020

Federer says he'd retire long ago if Mirka asked him to do so

"We wouldn‘t have been happy when we would have been apart. It is an interesting situation. We should do the interview with Mirka but I know she doesn‘t do any. She has supported me incredibly and put back and so I‘m looking forward when everything is over. I would have stopped long ago when she wouldn‘t have said: 'Come on, continue.' Or when she would have said: 'Please stop, I don‘t want this any longer.' I would have stopped then. 

"We also have to find a balance with the 4 kids, it isn‘t the same anymore as 4, 8 or 10 years ago, that‘s for sure."

Federer says it will be interesting when he one day hits the court to play recreational tennis 

"I will certainly play tennis when I‘m older. I just like to play tennis. It will be interesting for me when I won‘t practice at one point anymore and only play balls. That‘s what I do seldom today as you always file on something. Later on it won‘t be the case anymore and so I think it will be an interesting step when I will play with friends and thinking: 'What do I play here? It doesn‘t matter if the forehand works or not.“'

from Tennis World USA https://ift.tt/3hDqKme