Roger Federer's life after tennis: Coaching his kids & philanthropic efforts in Africa
The 20-time Grand Slam winner does not miss being out on the court anymore. Instead, he enjoys following tennis as a fan and spending more time with his family.
Tennis
It has now been almost a year since tennis legend Roger Federer announced an emotional farewell to the sport after 24 years on the professional scene.
The 41-year-old Swiss may no longer play himself, but he is passing on his experience and skills to the next generation of Federers. All four of his children - his twin daughters and twin sons - play tennis up to four times a week.
“I’m not the coach, I am the dad and the dad’s advice, as we know, only goes so far. It doesn’t matter if you’ve won Wimbledon or not, you’re still the dad and sometimes they don’t want to hear what you have to say," Federer told CNN.
“I try to be funny, but at the same time I also try to be straight sometimes and just teach them. I come in more, I guess, as a technical coach so I try to teach them about all the tennis rackets.”
The eight-time Wimbledon champion emphasizes that he does not push any of his children to play and prefers to remain in the background. However, his twin sons, Lenny and Leo, are the ones displaying a particular interest in the sport.
Roger Federer on his charity foundation
Another project that Federer and his family are spending a lot of time on is the charity work they do through the Roger Federer Foundation.
The foundation has helped more than 2.5 million children in Southern Africa and Switzerland by providing the tools for education. Recently, he travelled to Lesotho, where his mum, wife and children joined him on the trip.
“It was so much fun, honestly, to see it as a dad and hoping that I could spark the fire for charitable work and for my children, I think was very special. So, it was a great trip.” Federer said.
Lesotho is one of six countries in Southern Africa where the Roger Federer Foundation does charity work. They are also present in Namibia, Malawi, Zambia, Zimbabwe and South Africa.
Roger Federer on being off the tennis court
In September 2022, Federer stepped onto the tennis court for his last professional match at the Laver Cup in London.
Towards the end of his career, the six-time Australian Open winner underwent several knee surgeries. Despite his 24-year professional tenure, he is content with his decision to retire.
He said: “Funny enough I don’t miss so much being out on court anymore. Just because I know, the body couldn’t do it, which lets me follow tennis as a total fan. I think planning ahead with my family and friends is what I enjoy the most. Life has honestly been good. With covid and my knee injury, I didn’t play so much in the end, so actually I think the transition has been super smooth.”
Federer spent a total of 310 weeks as the world number one and still holds the record for the most consecutive weeks as the top-ranked player, with a staggering 237 weeks.