Roger Federer: ‘Sometimes on the street I ask people to stop taking photos of my family’

In his interview with Tages Anzeiger, 18-time-Grand Slam champion Roger Federer said, ‘I am always with my family, even if in tournaments like Shanghai I am alone. 

In the beginning, we didn’t want to split because it was unthinkable to play a tournament without them. Can my family influence the length of my career in a negative way? I don’t think so.

during a practice session ahead of the 2018 Australian Open at Melbourne Park on January 13, 2018 in Melbourne, Australia.

I find unbelievably interesting for my kids to be able to see the world and be always busy because there are many other kids since we have many friends on the Tour. 

Today it’s easier than ever. Because in long flights like in Australia or America, we are in the same place for a long time.

And then in the rest of the year we have more or less the same time zone for a lot of time. So it’s all very easy ‘ Is the Tour like a school life for kids? ‘Of course, on one side they don’t do the things that other kids do like go to preschool or elementary school.

But on the other side, there are some good things as well. Being a tennis player, I also travelled when I was 14, 16, 18 while the people of my own age were at school.’ What are the consequences for his sons and daughters to grow up with a father who is a world star? Is it better or worse? ‘Good question.

I try to transmit values with my wife to them. I am not different, only sometimes I am on TV or in the advertisements. It’s obvious, in Switzerland I am famous but we spend time together and when people comes to me to ask me for something,

I say my kids: they are only tennis fans who love tennis, that’s normal. I do not say them that I am famous, even if they maybe understood it.’ In the technology era anyone can take a pic and share it on social media.

Did he have negative experiences in this aspect? ‘Sometimes we had to say people to stop taking pics of me or kids. Many times they do it because they like it,

but it worries me a little bit. You have to be respectful. I try to make my children grow normally.

It’s normal that they want to take pics, but there are some limits that cannot be overcomed. Of course I could stay home or in calmer places to avoid all this. So I prefer not to complain.