Sports pundits call him the greatest player in the history of tennis but Roger Federer's gaining quite a reputation in the nursery, too. Following the May 6 birth of his twin sons, Federer, 32, chose to bow out of the Madrid Open and spend time instead with his wife, Mirka Vavrinec Federer, 36, their newborns, and their 4-year-old identical twin daughters "during these next few exciting weeks for our family."
The Federers' daughters — Charlene Riva and Myla Rose — were born on July 23, 2009, and now have baby brothers Lenny and Leo to welcome into the fold. Two sons and two daughters born of two pregnancies may seem like the height of Swiss efficiency but there's more to the family story than that. Federer has one sibling, an older sister named Diana, and you guessed it — she's the mother of twins too!
Online chatter coming from the world of sports is swarming with speculation that the future of tennis is named Federer. Sports Illustrated sends congratulations along with speculation that "Switzerland (will) sweep the gold medals in singles, doubles and mixed doubles at the 2040 Olympics."
And why not? The family got its start at the Olympics.
Czechoslovakia-born Miroslava "Mirka" Vavrinec and Roger Federer were both competing in tennis competitions when they met at the 2000 Summer Olympic Games in Sydney, Australia. They teamed up in 2002 for the Hopman Cup, a mixed-sex competition held each year in Perth, Western Australia.
A persistent foot injury prompted Vavrinec's retirement from competition later in 2002 but marked the beginning of her career as Federer's manager of public relations.
The couple married on April 11, 2009, in Switzerland. Vavrinec's family had immigrated to Switzerland when she was just two years old. Like his grand slam twins, Federer was born in Switzerland.
The Federers, who have homes in Switzerland and Dubai (UAE) are a philanthropic family:
- 2003 — Founded the Roger Federer Foundation to promote sports and help disadvantaged people.
- 2005 — Federer donated a championship racquet for an auction benefiting Hurricane Katrina survivors.
- 2005 — Organized exhibition games for the Rally for Relief, benefiting victims of the Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami.
- 2006 — Was appointed a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador.
- 2010 — Federer and tennis greats including Serena Williams, Rafael Nadal, Andy Roddick, and Rafael Nadal opted out of their final day of practice before the Australian Open to play for charity benefiting victims of the Haiti earthquake.
- 2010 — The World Economic Forum named him a Young Global Leader.
- 2011 — Federer organized a charity match similar to the one for Haitian earthquake victims, this one for the benefit of people affected by the Queensland floods.
Forbes ranks Federer #8 in its list of 100 top celebrities. He is widely regarded as a perfect gentleman. And, now, quite a family guy!
Source: Nguyen, Courtney ."Roger Federer welcomes twins...again!" Beyond the Baseline / SI.com. Time Inc. May 6, 2014. Web. May 6, 2014.