- Roger Federer has been married to his wife, Mirka Federer, since April 2009.
- Though Roger (who is currently competing in the 2019 U.S. Open tournament) is a tennis legend, he credits much of his success to his former pro tennis star wife.
- Roger plays his first-round match against India's Sumit Nagal on Monday, August 26 at 8:15 p.m. EST.
Roger Federer almost won his ninth Wimbledon championship, but now he's setting his sights on the U.S. Open. No matter what, there’s one person always cheering him on: his wife, Mirka. Miroslava “Mirka” Federer (née Vavrinec) was a tennis star in her own right, and now she is her husband’s No. 1 supporter and a loving mom to their four children. He’s credited her as his “rock,” and is the one who keeps the Federer family together, even with her husband's demanding schedule.
Together for nearly two decades, there’s so much to say about this aspirational couple. And as Federer prepares for his first round match against Sumit Nagal on Monday night, we’re swooning over his love story.
Roger and Mirka met in 2000
While competing for Switzerland in the 2000 Sydney Olympics, Roger told CNN’s Christina MacFarlane that the trip culminated with a life-defining kiss. If you look closely at the image below, you can spot both of them in the Swiss team's photo:
“Over the two weeks we built up some chemistry and didn’t know if this was gonna take us anywhere ... or was this just like a moment in time? But it was more than just a kiss. It was something that led to something extraordinary for us, and we’re very happy still to be together.”
But their first romantic moment together wouldn’t have happened if he wasn’t pushed by a fellow Olympian. Roger is four years younger than his wife, so he was intimidated to make a move.
“I tried to tell her I was almost 18 and a half because she told me I was so young when she kissed me ... I was like, ‘Well, I’m almost 18 and a half,’ so I tried to sneak in a quarter year. A quarter year. Back in the day that was a big deal.”
They were both traveling for tennis after that, but continued to see each other. All the while, they were trying to keep their relationship out of the press. But in 2002, they competed in the Hopman Cup as mixed doubles partners and their chemistry was undeniable. In an adorable interview after an unfortunate loss, you’d never guess they’d gotten the “L" because they were giggling and smiling the entire time:
Mirka, who was born in the former Czechoslovakia, competed in all four Grand Slams from 1999 to 2001. However, she ended up retiring shortly after because of “chronic foot trouble,” according to E!, and went on to serve as his manager for some time.
By 2003, they were officially living together in Switzerland. Oh, and then Roger took home his first Wimbledon trophy that same year.
First comes marriage, then babies
In March 2009, Roger and Mirka announced they were expecting their first child together. Just a few weeks after sharing this, they got married in an intimate wedding ceremony in Roger’s hometown of Basel, Switzerland. Their whirlwind year continued with the arrival of not one, but two baby girls. Daughters Charlene Riva and Myla Rose Federer were born in July, and their dad called it “the greatest day of our lives.”
Mirka had a unique goal for her family to start early, so their kids could watch their superstar dad.
“She said, ‘It would be so so nice that our kids would see you play still,’” Roger said in a 2013 CNN interview.
And boy, have they ever.
In the interview, he talked about how his girls appeared to watch their dad at the 2012 Wimbledon final. “Oh my God, that’s like the perfect moment,” he remembers thinking, as he didn’t know Mirka would bring their daughters to Centre Court.
Twins again!
In May 2014, the Federer kids doubled when Mirka gave birth to a second set of twins.
“Mirka and I are so incredibly happy to share that Leo and Lenny were born this evening! #TwinsAgain #Miracle,” Roger tweeted.
And we all remember when his four kids were there to support their pops for the 2017 Wimbledon final.
Seeing all of his babies there (in the cutest matching outfits, by the way), brought the tennis legend to tears.
Rubbing elbows with royals
The couple has a plethora of celeb pals, including Bradley Cooper and Anna Wintour. But in a 2014 interview with Town and Country, Federer spoke about how he and Mirka met up with Prince William and Kate Middleton. During this royally special afternoon, they enjoyed lunch and some tennis at the home of Carole and Michael Middleton.
You can often find Will and Kate cheering emphatically from the Royal Box at Wimbledon, and Roger's even coached Prince George. Pippa Middleton also invited Roger and Mirka to her 2017 wedding to James Matthews.
Leaving their legacy
In an interview with Vogue, Roger talked a lot about how he wanted to be a good person for the sport, but also for his kids. On his days off during the tournament and throughout the year, he said he spends much of his time running around with them. Plus, he said they’ve taught him two important things: “patience and snuggling … it’s the best.”
As for what he wants to teach them? “Everything,” he said. “I want to teach them everything I know and more. I love them so much.” (Those aren’t tears, our eyes are just watering!)
Whether he brings home the trophy this year or not, Roger’s already won.
