Roger Federer at the Monte Carlo Tennis Open in Monaco.
(AP Photo/Lionel Cironneau)
Over the weekend, in his hometown of Basel, Switzerland, Roger Federer married his longtime girlfriend, Mirka Vavrinec.
Mirka has been a fixture at Roger’s side for over 5 years, sitting in his box as he made his remarkable Grand Slam run from 2003 to 2008, winning 13 Slam titles. His run also included five Wimbledon and five US Open titles in a row.
The couple recently announced that they are expecting their first child later this year.
Federer relinquished his number one ranking battling a bout of mononucleosis early in the year and after losing to Rafael Nadal in both the French Open and Wimbledon finals.
Rafael Nadal continues to be Federer’s nemesis in 2009, beating Federer in the Australian Open final, and is the overwhelming favorite to win the French Open for the 5th time in a row.
What does the marriage and the imminent birth of his child mean for the Swiss star’s tennis? Will he be spending too much time helping with Mirka’s pregnancy to concentrate on catching Pete Sampras’ Grand Slam title record?
If we take a look at what happened to Andre Agassi following his high-profile marriage to Brooke Shields in 1997, the answer is maybe. Agassi’s world ranking dropped to number 141 during that year, winning no major titles, after being ranked number one only two years earlier. Granted, Agassi endured a relapse of a previous injury.
In all likelihood, Federer’s tennis will be less affected by the events in personal life, as players like Rafael Nadal and Andy Murray present formidable obstacles to his quest to solidify himself as the greatest tennis player of all time.
Roger Federer is playing at the Monte Carlo Tennis Open in Monaco this week, beginning his quest to win his first French Open.
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