In an interview with CNN last month in Dubai during pre-season training, Roger Federer recalled his first kiss with his current wife Mirka during the 2000 Sydney Olympics. Mirka is three years older than Federer, now 41, while that Roger is 37.
Mirka achieved a singles ranking of number 76 in 2001. “We both played for Switzerland, and then we spent two weeks together in those dorms. We were together with the wrestlers and all the other cool athletes. I guess over the course of the two weeks, we developed some chemistry,” Federer said.
One fighter came up and suggested Federer kiss Mirka: “And I’m like, ‘No, I don’t know, maybe, should I? ‘ So anyway, I did it,” Federer confessed. “He told me that she was very young when she kissed me.
I tried to tell him that she was almost 18 and a half years old. I tried to sneak away a quarter of a year.” Federer also spoke about his activity with his structure that bears his name, which recently reached the figure of one million benefited children.
“The last time I was in Zambia, in the middle of this year, I tried to explain to them that he was a tennis player,” Federer said. “And they said, ‘The one with the rocket and the table?’ I’m like, ‘No, that’s table tennis.’
You realize who you are, it doesn’t really matter. I am not a tennis player here. I’m actually a philanthropist on the ground. He hit me, you know? I think it’s wonderful. It’s different from being on a tennis team.”
King Roger is a true legend
During a recent interview, Paul Annacone talked about Roger Federer. “He had a great chance that year,” Annacone said. “He beat Novak in the semis, and Novak hadn’t lost the entire year going into the French Open.
Against Rafa, he was up 5-2 in the first set and had set points. Tried a drop shot which was a lot bit of a bailout shot. Lost that set and a tough four-setter.” How does an ambitious athlete get over a loss like that? With detachment and acceptance, in Federer’s case.
“When he was done he was very proud of what he had done in the tournament,” said Annacone. “He’s very good at detaching from that emotion in a natural way. Where he doesn’t deny the emotion, where he doesn’t come up with excuses for losing, where he doesn’t blame anything.
He just processes it in a really healthy way, and I think that’s why at 41 years of age he’s still playing”.
