Federer: ‘When I met Mirka I had no titles, now I have 91’

On court, Roger Federer makes everything look easy; off court, the Swiss tennis legend is equally impressive and well-organised – from his charity work in Africa to his own family. But as the saying goes, behind every successful man there’s a strong woman. (RTS, swissinfo.ch)

The life of a professional tennis player is a year-round globe-trotting blur of hotel rooms, tennis courts and press conferences. The logistics – and jet lag – are hard enough for one person, let alone if there’s a family of four young children in tow. Fortunately for Roger Federer, his wife and manager Mirka keeps the “circus”, as he calls it, running smoothly.

Admittedly money helps. With career prize moneyExternal link of just over $100 million (CHF100.7 million) and an annual incomeExternal link including sponsorship deals of around $70 million, Federer has no problem affording private jets and round-the-clock nannies.

Now 35, he is playing as well as ever and enjoying a comeback that few people thought possible, but as he points out in this interview with Swiss public television, RTS, without Mirka, his rock, he would be nothing.

swissinfo.ch/ts