Roger Federer spoke about his wife Mirka’s role in his success in tennis and also off the court. Mirka was world No. 76 in the early 2000s. Federer said: “If I speak of tennis, she had a deep impact on my character, maybe not on my game, but yes on myself as a professional because she was a professional tennis player before me, she was more experienced when I came on Tour, she knew the hard work, I was just learning.
Then she made me grow and mature in the first years. After I think the support I got from here, was always unbelievable support, she was always there to help me, she made my life easier, without caring if I would win or lose, she gave me big confidence.
As a player, it’s always good to have her because some players have a wife one year and then they switch her. Anything can make you enjoy but it can make you distracted.
My life is perfect the way it is. I always loved having the same girlfriend, the same wife, handling the family and protecting them from the press, she has not been having an interview for 12-15 years, so people don’t know everything she did, an unbelievable amount of job for my parents, my life, for Tony [Godsick], my children.
She is a great hard worker. She is amazing. So I hope nothing changes. I was always there for her and viceversa. And if she said, Can we drop a bit the rhythm? I would tell her, Well, but let’s do it slowly, less by less. We have good conversations and she is happy with the trips. But of course, for the children, we always have to make the best possible schedule.”
Lapentti doesn’t think the break benefits Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic
Speaking to the EFE agency, the former tennis player Nicolas Lapentti gave his thoughts about the current situation. “I think that this break in tennis does not benefit or harm anyone. Everyone is in the same conditions.
We still do not know when the circuit will return and until this happens, we will not know who has benefited the most and who has suffered the most. But right now, everyone is in the same conditions,” the Ecuadorian said.
“The more time passes, tennis players like [Roger] Federer or Serena [Williams] are aging and therefore we have less time to enjoy them. Currently they are not suffering any type of wear due to not having tennis. It will be more a mental issue of whether they want to stay active longer and be able to continue competing at a high level,” Lapentti added.
The former World No. 6 admitted that he thinks it could be probable that no more professional tennis will be played in 2020: “I think tennis should not be resumed until the situation is more controlled. We don’t know when this will happen.
At first there was talk of June, after July and I honestly think that until the US Open we won’t see tennis. Then there would only be a couple of months to play tournaments, so I think that the most probable thing is that absolutely nothing will be played this season”.
On the behalf of the US Open he declared: “I think that the US Open should not be played. In addition to the fact that the Flushing Meadows facilities are currently being used as a hospital or supply center, I think the tennis players could not be ready for that time, and now New York is the epicenter of the pandemic and in complete safety the risk of contagion is even greater for all tennis players and managers”.
Finally, Lapentti criticized the move effectuated by the French Open: “I disagree with the decision made by Roland Garros without having listened to other organizations such as ATP, ITF and especially tennis players.
It seemed to me that he made a somewhat selfish decision. He directly released a statement with the resolution, which was very surprising to everyone. It certainly was a mistake”.
