When Roger Federer announced that he and his wife had become parents to a second set of twins in 2014, the tennis community had endless jokes about doubles championships in the family someday. His invincible prowess and the feathery-light way he moved on the court was proof of his athletic abilities. But the father of four is now having some trouble inculcating the same in his kids!

In an interview from May 23, a short clip of which was posted by Telematin on X, we found Roger Federer talking about his role as a responsible father. Especially when it involves keeping them interested in sports rather than the digital world, as too many parents often find themselves doing in the 21st century. When asked about how he accomplishes that goal, the 20-grand-slam champion offered a solution to the problem.

“I think that by creating a field like that, you have to talk to them. You have to also talk not only to your children but also to your parents, to your teachers, to everyone, because it’s true, as you said, the screen and all that is so extreme.” After his response, the interviewer further inquired whether he had reached that stage with his children.

The 42-year-old responded, “No, it’s a big battle every day.” Further explaining his perspective, Federer added, “I think that to go out in the nature or to do sport, it’s the most important. If you think about last week, maybe what you did the most pleasure, it’s usually the nature, or the sport, or your friends, but rarely on the screen.”

Roger Federer and his wife, Mirka, welcomed their twin daughters, Myla and Charlene, back in July 2009. And five years later, the couple had another pair of twins, Leo and Lenny. Naturally, after his retirement in 2022, Federer has started focusing more on being an integral part of his children’s lives. Time and again, Federer provided a glimpse of how he tries to do so. And he also revealed how he is trying to teach them tennis by stating, “We make them play.”

Now that Roger Federer the player has retired, might we see Roger Federer the coach? Maybe not professional players just yet, but his kids? They’ve made their way around the world with their dad, watching him play at various tournaments.

However, making his kids interested in tennis and keeping them away from the digital world was not an easy job for him. “I have struggled with my children. I have tried to promote tennis at my household with playing a lot of matches against Rafa, Novak and everybody, but my kids don’t care,” he admitted previously. However, recently, his worries might have subsided as he gave an exciting update on the subject.

Roger Federer’s “four kids love” playing tennis

Roger Federer initially revealed how his daughters were not interested in playing tennis when they were younger. Understandably, it broke Federer’s heart. He confessed that, after 30 seconds of playing, Myla and Charlene used to get tired of playing tennis. Rather, they preferred to play with dolls. But now, it seems that Federer does not have to worry about that.

He admitted in an interview, “As they got better, they’re enjoying it and playing points now.” However, in the case of his boys, the scenario is not the same. Much like their father, both his sons have already picked up their racquets. Reflecting on this, Roger Federer revealed, “All four kids love it.”  

However, Federer intends to build more intrigue regarding sports among his children. And his latest comment on how to bring their attention to the same emphasizes his goal even more.