Don’t Play Much Tennis Anymore

By Richard Pagliaro | @Tennis_Now | Wednesday, September 13, 2024

The Maestro still makes the strings sing.

But these days Roger Federer’s tennis play is primarily with his kids and family friends. 

More: Djokovic Captures 24th Grand Slam Title

Former world No. 1 Federer shared he “play much tennis anymore, other than with the kids.”

In a new interview with the Wall Street Journal, Federer said his court time is limited to family, friends and the occasional clinic he conducts, as he did in New York City last month for his apparel sponsor, Uniqlo and shoe brand On.

Don’t fret: Federer isn’t giving up on tennis to pursue a pickleball career.

Federer said there are two main reasons he doesn’t play much tennis: he’s still rehabbing is surgically-repaired knee and it can be tough to find someone who can hit at GOAT-level on short notice.

“As a former player, to book a court and get someone to hit with you is a process, so you end up not doing it,” Federer told Wall Street Journal. “On vacation, I just played with our friends in the Hamptons. I’m not super competitive. It’s just nice to be out there and then sit on the terrace and let the sweat go a bit.

“I’ve had quite a bit of knee issues, so I’m constantly rehabbing. I haven’t been able to do much cardio – mostly weights, core exercises, exercises for my quad-strengthening.

“I have a physio I’ve been with for seven years, and we see each other four times a week. He does treatments, massages, stretching, and he also runs me through exercises.”

The 20-time Grand Slam champion said his two sets of twins—daughters Charlene Riva and Myla Rose and sons Lenny and Leo—are all playing tennis these days though they don’t always take their famous father’s advice.

“I’m not the coach, I am the dad and the dad’s advice, as we know, only goes so far,” Federe told CNN. “It doesn’t matter if you’ve won Wimbledon or not, you’re still the dad and sometimes they don’t want to hear what you have to say.

“I try to be funny, but at the same time I also try to be straight sometimes and just teach them. I come in more, I guess, as a technical coach so I try to teach them about all the tennis racquets.

“I don’t think we were the crazy tennis parents who said: ‘Girls, you’ve got to go and play every day for two hours.’”

The 42-year-old Swiss superstar said he’s at peace with life in retirement and relished his return to Centre Court Wimbledon in July at a member of the…