Any tough fan would just melt seeing Boston Celtics’ all-star player Jayson Tatum in his interactions with his son, Deuce. Countless YouTube videos trace the rise of Luka Doncic as a superstar with the Dallas Mavericks with signs pointing to the significant influence of his father, Sasha, in making Luka - from Slovenia - an amazing young player in Europe. This would translate to basketball greatness with Luka being drafted in the 2018 NBA Draft and immediately traded to the Mavericks.
Recently, I was reminded of other cases that highlight the role of fatherhood among male professional athletes. For almost twenty years since 2003, three men have dominated pro tennis: Roger Federer, with a record 8 Wimbledon championships; Rafael Nadal, with an unmatched 14 French Open titles; and Novak Djokovic, with an incredible 10 Australian Open victories. At mid-2024, Federer has since retired (2022) from professional tennis and Nadal is set to retire soon after losing in the first round of the 2024 French Open.
Djokovic also appears headed for retirement, with notable losses to Carlos Alcaraz (2023 Wimbledon) and to Jannik Sinner (2024 Australian Open). Unsurprisingly, this “Big 3” for men’s pro tennis are making family a priority. Federer and his wife have two sets of twins (two girls born in 2009 and two boys born in 2014).
Likewise, Nadal’s wife just gave birth to “Rafa Jr.” in 2022. A search of recent articles reveals how Federer is bonding with his family and endearing.
