"She said, 'You're so young...You're a baby'" - When Roger Federer talked about kissing his wife Mirka for the first time at 2000 Olympics

Roger and Mirka Federer have been one of the most high-profile couples in the tennis world over the last two decades. The duo met each other in the early 2000s, first coming into contact at the 2000 Olympics in Sydney.

Before Sydney, the only time Mirka saw the Swiss legend was at a tournament in his home country, where someone told her to check out the player who was tipped to be the future of tennis. However, once Mirka arrived, she saw a guy throwing his racket in anger and shouting.

Recalling the incident, Federer said a few years ago:

"I was playing club tennis in Switzerland and everybody said, 'Go see this guy, he's super talented, the future of tennis.' And the first thing she saw was me throwing a racket and shouting, and she was like [in a mocking tone], 'Yeah! Great player, he seems really good! What's wrong with this guy?'" (Quotes via The Guardian)

Mirka was also a professional player back in the day, and she and Federer represented Switzerland at the 2000 Sydney Olympics. Mirka was 21 and Federer was 18 at that time.

The two spent time together during the Games and shared their first intimate moment before leaving.

"We spent two weeks together, that's how we got to know each other and on the last day before we left, we kissed for the first time," the Swiss champion said (via The Guardian).

In a 2016 interview with The Guardian, Roger Federer recalled how Mirka affectionately called him a 'baby' after their kiss, given his age.

"When I kissed her for the first time, she said, 'You're so young'. I said, ‘Well, I'm almost 18 and a half.' You know how you try to shove another half year in? And she was like, 'OK, you're a baby,'" he said.

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Roger Federer: "When I met her, I had zero titles, today I have 88, so she’s been on this ride for the whole time"

Mirka and Roger Federer pictured together

Mirka has been an integral part of Roger Federer's team over the years. After retiring from professional tennis at the age of 24 in 2022 due to chronic foot trouble that required multiple surgeries, she traveled across the globe to support the Swiss in his endeavors on the court.

The 20-time Grand Slam champion has frequently expressed gratitude for his wife's constant support and for the role she played in his success.

"When I met her I had zero titles, today I have 88, so she’s been on this ride for the whole time," he said in the same interview with The Guardian in 2016.

The couple got married in Basel, Switzerland, on 11 April 2009. They have two sets of twins together: daughters Myla Rose and Charlene Riva born in 2009, and sons Leo and Lennart born in 2014.