20-time Grand Slam champion Roger Federer has revealed how a conversation with his wife Mirka stopped him from announcing his retirement.
Federer, who hadn’t won a Grand Slam title since winning his seventh Wimbledon crown in 2012, had to spend six-months on the sidelines due to a knee injury in 2016. With injuries troubling him and his form dwindling, thoughts of hanging up his boots were hovering in the Swiss maestro’s mind. Federer was unable to compete in the Rio Olympics and missed the French and the US Opens and for the first time since 2000, he failed to win a title on the ATP tour.
But the former World No. 1 made a stunning comeback in 2017, securing the Australian Open and Wimbledon titles. However, Federer’s wife Mirka played a major role in his renaissance, which saw him return to the pinnacle of men’s tennis yet again.
“It probably was a dinner, while we were alone around a table,” Federer told Swiss newspaper Tages Anzeiger.
“I don’t even remember if I asked her if I had to stop or if she thought that I could still win. It probably was something in that direction.
“And she told me: ‘If you want to do it [play further] and you feel well, I don’t see why you shouldn’t win another big tournament or beat anyone.’
“I had that feeling as well. Still, it wasn’t a long conversation.”
Federer created history in February when he became the oldest No. 1 in tennis after winning the title in Rotterdam. However, after enduring some difficult time in Indian Wells and Miami, where he lost to Juan Martin Del Potro and Thanasi Kokkinakis respectively, Federer decided to skip the entire European clay-court season. And the Basel native acknowledged that sometimes he needs rest to get away from all the attention he gets when he is competing on the men’s circuit.
“Sometimes I am tired of it,” Federer added.
“That’s why my schedule is important: I can still take a full rest. If this attention was always there, I would be exhausted and I couldn’t enjoy the rest.
“But I am happy that there is such a clamour around my person.”
