Often in sport, serious romantic relationships are considered a hindrance to peak performance. In professional tennis, a solitary endeavor, the notion is far stronger.
An inherently selfish athlete can’t possibly put the necessary effort into both a relationship and a career, right? Recently Tennis Tuesday ran a story on the number of Grand Slams won by notable players after marriage.
We’ll sum it up for you -- not many. Players who appear distracted by their private lives are easy targets for fans and media. Admittedly, it’s easy to wonder if Caroline Wozniacki’s recent woes (the former No. 1 is now ranked outside of the top 15) are due in part to her recent engagement to pro golfer Rory McIlroy.
Grigor Dimitrov’s decision to trade his European home base for Los Angeles to be near his superstar paramour Maria Sharapova was equally analyzed. The list goes on… Roger Federer, on the other hand, has avoided the same scrutiny, not to mention the issues of infidelity and domestic drama, that have befallen many of his sports star brethren.
He dated fellow player Mirka Vavrinec for several years before they tied the knot in 2009. She even served as Federer’s agent during his early career, an arrangement almost guaranteed to end badly. Instead, the two seem stronger than ever. “She's been very important in my life,”
Federer said at Indian Wells this year, “not just as a tennis player but overall. I'm happy that she always thought in the best interest for me and my career and never pulled me away. It would have been easy for her to say, ‘Look, can we not change it up or do different?’”
Federer seems to be well aware of how good he has it. “I hear stories, you know, some guys aren’t allowed to travel maybe three, four weeks in a row sometimes,” he continued. “The only request she had is that we can spend as much as time as possible together, which is what I wanted anyway.”
Perhaps proximity is the key to success. Based solely on anecdotal evidence, it seems the “absence makes the heart grow fonder” trope is less accurate when one party is traipsing the world with unlimited funds, and fans, at his disposal.
Money may not buy happiness, but for the Federers, it buys togetherness. Even with 4-year-old twin daughters and another baby on the way, the Federer clan travels as a unit, stopping off at Disney World last week between Indian Wells and Miami.
"We are just really enjoying our time together," Federer told the Herald Sun. "Overall, it's solid and good, and we are having a blast on the tour. I'm happy I can do that and be a tennis player at the same time.”
The Federer twins, Myla and Charlene, will turn 5 years old this summer, and with school age quickly approaching, the family will need to reevaluate in the near future. Federer says he’s considering the possibility of schooling the girls on the road. “We have thought about it, and I have discussed it with my wife,” he said.
“You know, it all depends a little bit how my career looks, how much more I'm going to play. So we said we will just go along as it is. If we have to homeschool them, we have to do that, I guess. If not, I'm happy to put them through school.” The birth of his third child has the potential to affect Federer on a much more immediate basis.
Though the baby’s due date has not been made public, it’s clear by looking at the mother-to-be that the newest Federer will debut sometime relatively soon. Federer will adjust his schedule to be present for the birth.
“It's clearly a top priority for me,” he explained in Miami. “[It was] one of the most incredible experiences of my life to be at the birth of Myla and Charlene. That's why I wouldn't want to miss it for the world.”
History tells us that no matter how happy a celebrity couple may seem on the surface, only two people truly know the status of a relationship.
But, as of this moment, Roger and Mirka Federer certainly set the standard for successful relationships in the pitfall-laden world of pro sports.
tennisnow.com
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