Roger Federer's Kids Keep the Busy Dad of Two Sets of Twins on His Toes
Updated April 2 2020, 1:38 p.m. ET
Roger Federer is known to most as a Swiss professional tennis player who has won countless grand slam titles during his epic career. But to four young kids, he's simply known as "Dad." And one thing's for sure: Roger's two sets of twins definitely keep him busy.
Let's take a closer look at the 20-time grand slam champion's family dynamic. Because the odds of having kids like his — two sets of identical twins — are 1 in 110,000.
Who is Roger Federer's wife, Mirka Federer?
Miroslava "Mirka" Federer is a Swiss former professional tennis player — and that's how she ended up meeting Roger at the 2000 Summer Olympics. Unfortunately, she ended up retiring in 2002 because of a nagging foot injury.
Mirka and Roger tied the knot in April 2009, which was actually just a few months before they became parents.
Roger and Mirka Federer welcomed identical twin girls in 2009.
On July 23, 2009, Roger and Mirka welcomed their first set of identical twins: daughters Myla Rose and Charlene Riva. Not long after his twin girls were born, the tennis star opened up with The Guardian about new fatherhood.
"We love our role and try to be the best parents we can," Roger told the publication at the time. "It's definitely a very positive change in my life. I didn't expect that, but it's a pleasant surprise. We're enjoying every second with them. Mirka spends 24 hours with them, and I spend a little less because I'm at the tennis sometimes, which I still have to do."
Roger and Mirka welcomed identical twin boys in 2014.
On May 6, 2014, Roger and Mirka welcomed a second set of identical twins: sons Leo and Lennart "Lenny." Roger ended up pulling out of the Madrid Open because of the due date of his younger two kids.
“I apologize to my fans and hope to be back in Madrid next year,” he told CNN at the time. “I’ll be training near my home, and am excited to rejoin the Tour soon.”
Like many parents of identical twins have expressed, there seems to be a bit of a learning curve when it comes to telling the kids apart — especially when they're babies.
"I used to sometimes if I couldn't see their face right away," Roger admitted to Vogue for the publication's 73 Questions series in July 2019. "But no, nowadays I'm a pro. Of course, I can tell them apart."
Roger Federer's kids often cheer him on during his tennis tournaments.
In July 2017, all four of Roger's kids basically stole the show at Wimbledon. They were just that cute.
"They have no clue what's going on," Roger told the BBC following his win, in reference to his 3-year-old boys. "They think this is probably a nice view and a nice playground but it's not quite like that here, so one day, hopefully they'll understand. But it's very special."
Meanwhile, his daughters — who were nearly 8 at the time — seemed to have had a better grasp of what was doing on. "They enjoy to watch a little bit. They come for the finals, I guess," Roger added.
Isn't it wild to imagine? Having not one but two sets of identical twins isn't only extremely rare — but it sounds pretty darn exhausting, too. Add that responsibility to training and competing as a professional athlete, and it's mind-blowing how Roger musters the energy to do it all.