Behind every great champion is usually a great coach.
In Roger Federer's case, it's wife Mirka.
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The 20-time Grand Slam champion said his wife and former doubles partner is the support system and secret to his success.
"She is my wife," Federer told Swiss TV network SRF in an interview. "It's not good without her. It's that simple. She is always there for me, in the good and bad times."
While Mirka often sits in Federer's support box along with mother Lynette and father Robert, the Australian Open champion says often his wife is so focused on their two sets of twins, she sometimes doesn't even know who he is playing.
"She is naturally more focused on the children than on my tennis," Federer told SRF. "Sometimes she doesn't even know who I am going to be playing against."
"I call her after a match and she asks 'Did you win?' "
In 2002, Federer and then girlfriend Mirka Vavrinec joined forces playing for Switzerland at the Hopman Cup, a year after Federer and Martina Hingis won the title.
Aussie Hall of Famer Fred Stolle, who conducted the post-match interview, struggled with Mirka's last name and had a bit of fun with the young couple.
"She knows tennis inside out and she knows me really well," Federer said of Mirka. "So she knows when I am feeling okay or not. She also knows what it takes to have success. That's why she is precious and my team knows that too."
When Federer returned to Hopman Cup in January partnering Belinda Bencic, he reflected on his "rock solid" relationship with Mirka, which began with their first kiss at the 2000 Sydney Olympic Games.
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