Federer Talks Singing With Coldplay & Joys Of Parenthood At Laver Cup Q & A

Roger Federer’s record-breaking career ended 12 months ago. The Swiss legend lifted 103 tour-level titles and faced many great battles during his playing days, competing against the world’s best in all corners of the globe year after year.

Today he no longer has the challenge of going toe-to-toe with long-time rivals Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal. However, the tests have continued to come for the 42-year-old…

Speaking at an on-court Q&A with Jim Courier at the Laver Cup on Friday, Federer gave insight into his life post-retirement and was quickly quizzed on life as a parent to four children, including two teenage twin girls.

“Days are long but at the same time, I feel I don’t have enough time because I pack my schedule up. Four kids will do that to you as well. I am a professional driver nowadays, organiser, logistics man. It is a test on another level,” Federer joked.

“I am just happy to be able to be allowed to live in my own house still,” added Federer when asked specifically about his two teenage daughters. “They are amazing, I love them. But my god, I can’t believe who they are right now at 14. I feel like I have taught them everything and more and at the moment it is complicated but in a good way.

“I know it is going to pass, but I also like if it stays, because I like it if my girls have a strong character, so it is all good. My two cents of advice are that I am happy if they come and shout and cry at home, instead of doing that away. I know they can share all their emotions with me and I love the honesty, so it is all good.”

Federer, who has been married to his wife Mirka since 2009, has been busy since he hung up his racquet at the Laver Cup last September. In July, Federer showed the world his musical talents when he joined Coldplay on stage in Zurich.

The 20-time major winner loved the occasion and revealed it was one of his daughters who convinced him to take to stage.

“I don’t know what I was doing! I was moving my hand and smiling. I was being me but I got the invitation from Chris Martin from Coldplay,” Federer said. “He said do you want to come up on stage tomorrow. I was in Zurich at the time, I just came back from the Elton John concert. Stuff you just do when you haven’t got stuff to do anymore!

“I looked at my daughter and told her, ‘Do you think I should go on stage and do this?’ She was half falling asleep after the Elton John concert and she was like, ‘Of course papa, you only live once, of course you have to do it.’ So I was like, I’ll go on stage, I’ll do it and of course I enjoyed it. I finished on top. This was my music career. I dropped the mic and I was good.”

Alongside parenthood and his brief music career, Federer has continued to undertake important work for the Roger Federer Foundation. The 42-year-old’s foundation, founded in 2003, supports educational projects in Southern Africa and Switzerland. The programmes focus on the improvement of the quality of early learning and basic education.

“I have done a lot with the foundation. I have just been to the UN fighting for early learning again this past Monday,” Federer said. “That is something I enjoy a lot. We finally all went as a family down by South Africa on a field trip for the foundation. That was a dream of mine since I started the foundation. We are celebrating 20 years now, so I know that will be something in my life for the next 25 years in some shape.”

Before the end of his Q&A with Courier, there was time for Nadal to make an appearance. The Spaniard, who teamed with Federer in the Swiss star’s final match, popped up with a cheeky question. He asked Federer via video who his favourite doubles partner had been, winking at the end of the question.

“I thought it was my wife until this guy showed up. Rafa can have it,” Federer said, cracking a smile. “Last year was on another level, special. We will share that forever.”