Miroslava Vavrinec
Encyclopedia
Miroslava "Mirka" Federer (born Miroslava Vavrinec on 1 April 1978 in Bojnice
, Czechoslovakia
, now Slovakia
) is a former professional tennis
player from Switzerland
. She reached her current career-high WTA
singles ranking of no. 76 on 10 September 2001 and a doubles ranking of no. 215 on 24 August 1998. She is the wife of Roger Federer
, having first met him at the 2000 Summer Olympics
. She retired from the game in 2002 due to a persistent foot injury. She has since frequently been seen on the ATP circuit attending her husband's matches.
), Miroslava emigrated to Switzerland
when she was just two years old. Her parents currently own a jewelry shop and reside in Schaffhausen
. In 1987, when she was nine, her father took her to watch a tournament at Filderstadt in Germany. Mirka met Martina Navratilova, who thought she looked athletic and should try tennis. Navratilova later sent her a racquet
and arranged for her first tennis lesson. In 2002 she teamed up with Roger Federer in the Hopman Cup
.
Prior to her retirement she was ranked in the mid-80s. Following her retirement from tennis, she took on the role of Federer's press and public relations manager, traveling with him on tour.
on April 11, 2009. On July 24, Roger announced via his Facebook
page that Mirka had given birth to twin girls: Myla Rose and Charlene Riva. The babies were born July 23, 2009 in Switzerland. The first Internet photos of the twins were posted on his Facebook page on 7 August 2009.
(with Nathalie Tschan) (1992)
Bojnice
Bojnice is a small town in central Slovakia at the upper Nitra river, near the city of Prievidza. It has population of 4,983 . Bojnice is best known for its tourist attractions: the oldest zoo in Slovakia, the most visited castle, and one of the oldest spa towns in Slovakia. The town is situated...
, Czechoslovakia
Czechoslovakia
Czechoslovakia or Czecho-Slovakia was a sovereign state in Central Europe which existed from October 1918, when it declared its independence from the Austro-Hungarian Empire, until 1992...
, now Slovakia
Slovakia
The Slovak Republic is a landlocked state in Central Europe. It has a population of over five million and an area of about . Slovakia is bordered by the Czech Republic and Austria to the west, Poland to the north, Ukraine to the east and Hungary to the south...
) is a former professional tennis
Tennis
Tennis is a sport usually played between two players or between two teams of two players each . Each player uses a racket that is strung to strike a hollow rubber ball covered with felt over a net into the opponent's court. Tennis is an Olympic sport and is played at all levels of society at all...
player from Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
. She reached her current career-high WTA
Women's Tennis Association
The Women's Tennis Association , founded in 1973 by Billie Jean King, is the principal organizing body of Women's Professional Tennis. It governs the WTA Tour which is the worldwide professional tennis tour for women. Its counterpart organization in the men's professional game is the Association of...
singles ranking of no. 76 on 10 September 2001 and a doubles ranking of no. 215 on 24 August 1998. She is the wife of Roger Federer
Roger Federer
Roger Federer is a Swiss professional tennis player who held the ATP no. 1 position for a record 237 consecutive weeks, and 285 weeks overall. As of 28 November 2011, he is ranked World No. 3 by the Association of Tennis Professionals . Federer has won a men's record 16 Grand Slam singles titles...
, having first met him at the 2000 Summer Olympics
2000 Summer Olympics
The Sydney 2000 Summer Olympic Games or the Millennium Games/Games of the New Millennium, officially known as the Games of the XXVII Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event which was celebrated between 15 September and 1 October 2000 in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia...
. She retired from the game in 2002 due to a persistent foot injury. She has since frequently been seen on the ATP circuit attending her husband's matches.
Early life and tennis career
Born in Bojnice (SlovakiaSlovakia
The Slovak Republic is a landlocked state in Central Europe. It has a population of over five million and an area of about . Slovakia is bordered by the Czech Republic and Austria to the west, Poland to the north, Ukraine to the east and Hungary to the south...
), Miroslava emigrated to Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
when she was just two years old. Her parents currently own a jewelry shop and reside in Schaffhausen
Schaffhausen
Schaffhausen is a city in northern Switzerland and the capital of the canton of the same name; it has an estimated population of 34,587 ....
. In 1987, when she was nine, her father took her to watch a tournament at Filderstadt in Germany. Mirka met Martina Navratilova, who thought she looked athletic and should try tennis. Navratilova later sent her a racquet
Racquet
A racquet or racket is a sports implement consisting of a handled frame with an open hoop across which a network of cord is stretched tightly. It is used for striking a ball in such games as squash, tennis, racquetball, and badminton...
and arranged for her first tennis lesson. In 2002 she teamed up with Roger Federer in the Hopman Cup
Hopman Cup
The Hopman Cup is an annual international team tennis tournament held in Perth, Western Australia in early January each year, which plays mixed teams on a country by country basis...
.
Prior to her retirement she was ranked in the mid-80s. Following her retirement from tennis, she took on the role of Federer's press and public relations manager, traveling with him on tour.
Personal life
Mirka married Roger FedererRoger Federer
Roger Federer is a Swiss professional tennis player who held the ATP no. 1 position for a record 237 consecutive weeks, and 285 weeks overall. As of 28 November 2011, he is ranked World No. 3 by the Association of Tennis Professionals . Federer has won a men's record 16 Grand Slam singles titles...
on April 11, 2009. On July 24, Roger announced via his Facebook
Facebook
Facebook is a social networking service and website launched in February 2004, operated and privately owned by Facebook, Inc. , Facebook has more than 800 million active users. Users must register before using the site, after which they may create a personal profile, add other users as...
page that Mirka had given birth to twin girls: Myla Rose and Charlene Riva. The babies were born July 23, 2009 in Switzerland. The first Internet photos of the twins were posted on his Facebook page on 7 August 2009.
Grand Slam Singles performance timeline
| Tournament | 1999 1999 WTA Tour The WTA Tour is the elite tour for professional women's tennis organised by the Women's Tennis Association . The WTA Tour includes the four Grand Slam tournaments, the WTA Tour Championships and the WTA Tier I, Tier II, Tier III and Tier IV events... | 2000 2000 WTA Tour The 2000 Sanex WTA Tour was the 28th season since the founding of the Women's Tennis Association. It commenced on January 3, 2000, and concluded on November 13, 2000, after 58 events. For this season, a new event was added: the State Farm Classic in Scottsdale, Arizona, U.S... | 2001 2001 WTA Tour The WTA Tour is the elite tour for professional women's tennis organised by the Women's Tennis Association . The WTA Tour includes the four Grand Slam tournaments, the WTA Tour Championships and the WTA Tier I, Tier II, Tier III, Tier IV and Tier V events... | Career W-L | ||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grand Slam Tournaments | ||||||||||||||||||
| Australian Open Australian Open The Australian Open is the only Grand Slam tennis tournament held in the southern hemisphere. The tournament was held for the first time in 1905 and was last contested on grass in 1987. Since 1972 the Australian Open has been held in Melbourne, Victoria. In 1988, the tournament became a hard court... |
A | 2R | 2R | 2-2 | ||||||||||||||
| French Open | 1R | 1R | 1R | 0-3 | ||||||||||||||
| Wimbledon The Championships, Wimbledon The Championships, Wimbledon, or simply Wimbledon , is the oldest tennis tournament in the world, considered by many to be the most prestigious. It has been held at the All England Club in Wimbledon, London since 1877. It is one of the four Grand Slam tennis tournaments, the other three Majors... |
A | 1R | 1R | 0-2 | ||||||||||||||
| US Open | A | 1R | 3R | 2-2 | ||||||||||||||
| Win-Loss | 0-1 | 1-4 | 3-4 | 4-9 | ||||||||||||||
Singles: 3 ITF
| Nr. | Date | Tournament | Surface | Opponent in final | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 8 March 1997 |  Tel AvivTel Aviv Tel Aviv , officially Tel Aviv-Yafo , is the second most populous city in Israel, with a population of 404,400 on a land area of . The city is located on the Israeli Mediterranean coastline in west-central Israel. It is the largest and most populous city in the metropolitan area of Gush Dan, with... |
Hard | Natalie Cahana |
6–3, 7–6 |
| 2 | 22 June 1997 | Klosters-Serneus | Clay |  Evelyn Fauth |
4–6, 7–5, 6–2 |
| 3 | 31 January 1999 |  ClearwaterClearwater, Florida Clearwater is a city located in Pinellas County, Florida, US, nearly due west of Tampa and northwest of St. Petersburg. In the west of Clearwater lies the Gulf of Mexico and in the east lies Tampa Bay. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 108,787. It is the county seat of... |
Hard |  Alina JidkovaAlina Jidkova Alina Vladimirovna Jidkova , soubriquet Alinka, is a former Women's Tennis Association tennis player.... |
6–0, 7–6 |
Doubles: 1 ITF
LangenthalLangenthal
-In Germany:*Langenthal, Rhineland-Palatinate, in the district of Bad Kreuznach, Rhineland-Palatinate*Langenthal, Upper Palatinate, in the municipality of Berg, Upper Palatinate, Bavaria*Langenthal, Swabia, in the municipality of Untrasried, Bavaria...
(with Nathalie Tschan) (1992)