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The story of how Roger Federer fell in love with his Mirka at the 2000 Olympics in Sydney has been told many times.
However, what is less known is that Roger, 19, was not so sure of his case. “He asked us all if he should date Mirka,” Sven Groeneveld, then head coach of Swiss Tennis, reveals to “tennisnet.” “We advised him not to do it because he was still very young and should enjoy his freedom. Looking back, he made the right decision, of course, ”continues Groeneveld. After all, Roger only learned from Mirka how to control his emotions, according to the Dutchman.
Groeneveld was so close to Federer at the time that he should have even been his permanent coach. «His parents asked me if I wanted to accompany him on the tour. In my opinion, that was the job of Peter Carter and especially Peter Lundgren. That’s why his manager Tony Godsick still laughs at me today, “says Groeneveld.
Lundgren, who worked as a coach for Federer between 2000 and 2003, was, according to Groeneveld, one of the most central puzzle pieces in the Basel bidder’s unique career. Lundgren had the necessary backbone. Especially at times when the results fell short of expectations, it absorbed the pressure and negative influences from outside. ”
Only in this way did Federer gain the time to turn from a talent to a great winner. Groeneveld: «I saw an artist in young Roger. Someone who was very creative. Someone who loved playfulness. Of course, I didn’t think I would win 20 Grand Slams. What the 54-year-old didn’t think either: that Roger and Mirka would one day have a family with four children. (cmü)
