Roger Federer opens up about his children's interest levels in tennis & their lives being 'turned upside down' because of his career

Roger Federer recently spoke about how regularly traveling on the ATP Tour during his illustrious career impacted his children's formative years. According to the 20-time Major winner, while his two sets of twins, Myla-Charlene and Leo-Lenny, enjoyed the perks of his success, they certainly didn't have it easy in his absence.

Federer was on top of men's singles tennis for more than two decades as he won a whopping 103 ATP titles and spent 310 weeks as the World No. 1. The Swiss maestro eventually hung up his racket at the 2022 Laver Cup in London to an overwhelming response from his family, peers, and fans alike.

Since his retirement, Roger Federer has made a concerted effort towards his sponsorships and business ventures, which include his dabbling in helping create the Wilson RF 01 Pro. During a recent interaction, the 44-year-old was promoting the tennis racket when he was asked about his children's relationship with tennis.

In response, he admitted that being on the road constantly during the peak of his career, where he was also occasionally joined by his wife Mirka, meant that his children would be left to their own devices at home.

"At 15, I was gone from home. My girls are still at home. Obviously, they've had a completely different upbringing. I walked to school every day and things were very different. My girls and my boys did a bunch of homeschooling," Roger Federer said in an interview with a brand called NotYourCountryClub. "We were on the road, the life has been turned upside down from the first day. So I think they've had the most exciting life, but also some [of it] not the most simple. I think overall, it has been fantastic."

Federer further revealed that his 11-year-old son Leo has started competing as a junior tennis player. Moreover, all four of his children, not unlike his own teen self, have a multi-sport background owing to their inclination towards skiing and golf.

"And in terms of tennis, Leo is playing some tennis tournaments. And then, Myla, Charlene, Lenny, they're a little less into the game. But they all play, they all ski, and they all play golf, so I'm happy we are a sporty family. It's good to get out there and do some sports, not just tennis."

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Roger Federer on taking his children's advice: "It's fun having them around, they give me inspiration"

Roger Federer poses with a few kids at Swiss Indoors Basel 2019 | Image Source: Getty

On a more technical tangent, Roger Federer attributed his children's input on the new RF01 racket to some of its characteristics, which include agility and adaptability. The former World No. 1 also claimed that their aptitude towards tennis makes the process more "fun".

"The RF01, we need to be a little bit more solid, you know? It was obviously, they were a little younger, as I was embarking on the project of the racket testing," the Swiss said. "But it's fun having them around, you know, because I can go to them and ask, 'What do you guys like? What would you wear or what would you appreciate in a racket design?' I mean, obviously, the feel and stuff I got to make sure that I get that right. But yeah sometimes, they give me inspiration for sure."

Aside from his contributions to Wilson, the 20-time Major winner has also been thriving as far as Swiss running company ON, which is currently valued at nearly $20 billion.