The Swiss Family (Robinson)

I've had several interesting conversations over the past couple of days about Roger Federer. Even those who are not big Federer fans can agree: He's an exceptional tennis player. He's fairly humble about his talent. He works hard and performs well under pressure. His excellence has undoubtedly improved the level of men's tennis across the board. My dad says you can see the greatness in his eyes, and I agree.

I also see greatness in the eyes of Mirka, his wife. Have you ever watched her during a match? She's intense. When Roger plays a point poorly, she doesn't bury her head in her hands or looked crushed, which all the other wives/girlfriends seem to do. She stares at him with a look that says, "You can do better than that." When he plays an unbelievable point, and the camera pans to her, she doesn't jump out of her seat or pump her fist. She gives a solid clap and wears an expression that says "I knew you could do that." I don't doubt that when he looks at her during a match, her eyes tell him, "You are going to win because you have worked hard to be the best."

She's pretty private, Mrs. Federer. We know a few things about her: She also grew up in Switzerland. She and Roger met when they were both playing tennis for the 2000 Swiss Olympic tennis team, but a persistent foot injury ended her career in 2002. After that she began traveling with Roger, and she's his business manager/PR agent/everything else. Sometimes she hits with him, and some people speculate that she also operates as a sort of coach. (Roger has been without a coach since his life-long coach died in a car accident in 2002.) Sports writers pointed out that she didn't leave her seat once during the entire 4+ hour Wimbledon final last year, despite the fact that she was only a few weeks away from giving birth to twins.

I believe that there is no "16 time Grand Slam Champion Roger Federer" without Mirka. He won his first Grand Slam in 2003, not long after Mirka started traveling with him. In Open, Andre Agassi reflects on the moment when Pete Sampras told him he was engaged. Andre says, "I hope he cares about his place in her heart as much as he seems to care about his place in history" (332). I believe Roger does, in regards to Mirka. After he won the French Open last year, his victory speech included a thank you to his "lovely wife who is pregnant!!" It was the most unfiltered comment I've ever seen Roger make.

That was my favorite Roger Federer moment. I'm glad they had twin daughters. The world could use more Mirkas, I believe.

Roger was released from Swiss military duty because of a weak back. I think this is a contentious issue for some in Switzerland, since it it never seems to affect his tennis game. Luckily for Roger, a strong spouse is like a strong spine. They support you. They help you stand tall. They stabilize you. Their flexibility allows you to bear burdens. They protect your most sensitive parts.

I'm fortunate enough to know about this first hand.

(The Swiss Family Robinson is a book by Johann D. Wyss, but I've never read it. I would guess, from the title, that it's about a Swiss family. To me, the Swiss Family Robinson is the Disney movie that begot the treehouse I loved as a child at Disneyland. If Roger hires me to write his autobiography, maybe I could convince him to title it The Swiss Family Federer.)