TENNIS TUESDAY: Djokovic Gets Married Days After Winning Wimbledon

Novak Djokovic has become the second of the "Fabulous Four" at the top of men's tennis to get married. Less than a week after winning his 7th major title by defeating Roger Federer in a thrilling 5-set match in the Wimbledon men's final, Djokovic, 27, married his longtime girlfriend Jelena Ristic  on Thursday July 10. Federer married his longtime girlfriend Mirka Vavrinec way back in April 2009. Federer married Mirka a few months before she gave birth to twin girls in July 23, 2009. Similarly, Djokovic's wife Jelena is pregnant and is expected to give birth later this year.

Congratulations to Novak! Let's hope you can beat the odds and continue winning majors after getting married and becoming a father!

TENNIS TUESDAY: Federer Twins (Leo and Lenny) Are Born!

Roger Federer withdrew from the ATP Masters 1000 tournament in Madrid on Tuesday, hours before his twin sons, Leo and Lenny were born. This is the second set of twins for Roger and wife Mirka. They also have twin girls named Charlene and Myla Rose who were born July 23, 2009.

Congratulations, Roger! What impeccable timing! Now you don't have to miss the Rome tournament next week, where you are defending finalists points. With Novak Djokovic also out of the tournament due to injury, things look good for Rafael Nadal to try and get his mojo back by winning his first clay court tournament of the year. (We often do not have to say that in May!)

CELEBRITY FRIDAY: Federers Expecting 3rd Child In 2014

The Roger Federer and his wife Mirka have announced (via Twitter) that they are expecting a 3rd child sometime in 2014. Their twin girls, Charlene Riva and Myla Rose were born July 23, 2009.
Congratulations, Roger and Mirka!

CELEBRITY FRIDAY: Novak Djokovic Engaged To Jelena Ristic

Current World #1 Novak Djokovic, 26, who this week became the 9th player in history to reach 100 weeks at the top of the ATP tour, announced his engagement to longtime girlfriend, Jelena Ristic, via twitter earlier this week.

Ristic, 27, now runs Djokovic's charitable foundation and is often seen in his player's box, cheering on her man to victory. With Djokovic's announcement and Murray's multiple public appearances with model gielfriend Kim Sears, will Rafael Nadal's girlfriend (Francisca "Xisca" Perelllo) get a higher profile?

Roger Federer, 32, is roughly five years older than his higher ranked rivals and has been married to Mirka Vavrinek for over 4 years and is now the father of three-year old twin girls Charlene and Myla.

NY TIMES Compares Federer To Famous Gay Tennis Icon

Curiouser and curioser. The New York Times has started going into overdrive as the last grand slam tournament of the year begins tomorrow on its own turf. This past weekend The Gray Lady ran a faux breathless story about the significance of Roger Federer's "RF" monogram and on Sunday there was a front page story comparing the defending 5-time US Open champion to the last man who won the US Open six consecutive years, Bill Tilden, who besides being a great champion was also a well-known homosexual (and confirmed pedophile). This year is the 80th anniversary of Tilden's sixth consecutive US Open championship, which Federer could duplicate if he wins again in New York. The article conceded that Tilden's accomplishments are rarely acknowledged because the tennis icon was arrested multiple times for being caught in inappropriate (and illegal, at the time) sexual situations with teenage boys.

And yet, if not for Federer’s Open success reviving his memory, Tilden would remain largely forgotten, his tennis legacy overshadowed by his vices. He was attracted to young boys in his later years. Shunned by tennis, he died virtually penniless in 1953, at age 60.

“There’s no question Tilden dominated his era more so than maybe anybody had except for Federer,” said Frank Deford, who wrote the definitive biography “Big Bill Tilden: The Triumphs and the Tragedy” while covering tennis in 1975 for Sports Illustrated.

But as a public figure, perhaps a more apt comparison for Tilden is to the pop star Michael Jackson, whose musical legacy, while unassailable, was mitigated for some by his conduct.

“I think that’s a very good analogy,” Deford said in a telephone interview, adding: “Tennis people tried to hush up Tilden’s personal life. They actually were afraid it would hurt the sport. I think that’s why nobody ever celebrates any of his achievements.”

Interestingly, although Roger Federer's own sexual orientation used to be in doubt, those questions have mostly been silenced with his marriage and birth of his twin daughters in the last six months.

I understand the New York Times trying to gin up support for locals to attend the Open (which when you really think about it is actually a bit bizarre or paranoid, since the tournament is quite often the most attended sporting event in North America most years) but it does seem a bit beyond the pale to be publishing two articles in three days which "sprinkle pink fairy dust" on the World #1 player by dissing his fashion sense (as "affected") and comparing him to a fashionista in one article and then comparing his tennis to the most famous (and controversial) men's tennis champion in history who happened to be firmly attracted to members of the same sex!

Celebrity Friday: The Federer Twins

Here is the first official photo of Charlene Riva and Myla Rose Federer, with their parents. The twins were born on Thursday July 23rd. Tomorrow, August 8, is Roger Federer's birthday-he will turn 28.

Federer's Wife Gives BIrth To Twin Girls

Myla Rose Federer and Charlene Riva Federer were born on Thursday July 23rd in Switzerland.

Celebrity Saturday: Federer Got Married!

Roger Federer married his longtime girlfriend Mirka (and mother of his child) in Basel, Switzerland today.

Hat/tip Craig Hickman.

Is Roger Federer Gay? Apparently Not!

World #2 Roger Federer confirmed earlier this week that he and his longtime companion/girlfriend/fiancee Mirka Vavrinec are expecting their first child this summer. The 13-time Grand Slam champion insisted (impending) fatherhood will not alter his motivation to play tennis:

“I think it’s not going to really disturb my mind-set on tennis a whole lot. I’ve always made sure that my schedule is (arranged with time to) get away from tennis a little but and then come back when I’m ready to play again.

“If it does something to me, I think it’s going to motivate me to play for a long time.”

[...]

"I’ve been thinking about something like this happening for the last two or three years.

“For me, this is not a massive shock. But when it does happen (and) your girlfriend-wife is pregnant, it definitely changes your mind-set. All of a sudden you’re hoping everything goes well, whereas before you’re just joking about it. From that respect, I’m excited that the baby comes out healthy and everything goes OK. Other than that, it’s just happiness. And all the people around me, all the people I talk to, everybody is like, ‘Wow, it’s such great news.’

“It’s a nice time. And yeah, the baby is due in summer. Summer is a big word, yeah. I’m not going to say anymore.”

So apparently Roger Federer is not gay. I never really thought that he was. From the above quote, apparently he and Mirka have been eschewing birth control for "two or three years." Interesting.

So which do you think comes first, a child or his 14th major title? (And which do you think he wants more?)