OWNER’S PROFILE HOW
OWNER’S PROFILE HOW MUCH OF IT IS STEERED OR INFORMED BY YOUR FRIENDSHIP WITH ANNA WINTOUR? Anna is a great sounding board and a dear friend, and a huge supporter of mine. I can ask her advice and she will put me in touch with certain people with whom I should be aligned creatively, maybe which photographer or stylist I should use, stuff like that. But honestly, I try not to overdo it because she’s a lovely person. My wife and I really value our friendship with her and have lots of time for her, such as co-hosting the Met Gala [for the benefit of the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute in New York City]. SPEAKING OF TIME, YOU NOW ALSO HAVE IT TO DO LOTS OF THINGS YOU HAVEN’T DONE FOR A WHILE. LIKE, SKIING FOR THE FIRST TIME IN 15 YEARS THIS PAST JANUARY. Finally again. That was so cool. THEY OBVIOUSLY DIDN’T LET YOU DO THAT WHILE YOU WERE STILL PLAYING, RIGHT? I could have! A lot of people think I could not have, because of insurance or what have you, but I could’ve. So, the last time I went skiing was 2008: I had just got back from the Australian Open and I got super-sick with mononucleosis. So, I said, “You know what? This is a sign that I don’t need to ski. Let’s not get injured in the last five years of your MOVING ON The Swiss ace is embarking on new adventures, but tennis is very much on his mind 44 NetJets
“ I would like to go back on the court and still promote tennis, promote sports, promote a healthy lifestyle – I believe in it a lot, obviously. And to play in the coolest parts of the world and see my fans and thank them for their support throughout PICTURE ALLIANCE/EPA-EFE career.” What I didn’t know was that I was going to play for another 14 years. So, that was the unfortunate bit – that I retired from skiing so young, at 27 years of age – but I knew I was going to come back. WHAT WAS IT LIKE? The hardest part was getting the kids up and running, getting them to ski lessons. But it was magical to get back out there. And I was surprised that it was like riding a bike – that I could still ski as well as I could before. Now, it’s truly a dream come true to finally be back on the skis personally, but especially with my children because they had been longing for this for so long – asking me, “How much more are you going to play because I wanna go skiing with you.” This was the theme for the past few years. AND NOW, I UNDERSTAND, YOU’RE TRAVELLING AN AWFUL LOT AGAIN. You’re right. I’ve been back on the road again and that’s been super-cool fun. We went to Rome with the family – and were privileged enough to visit the Vatican and the Sistine Chapel. We went on the Orient Express with my parents as a birthday gift and that was so cool – travelling from Paris to Venice. And that was a super-special trip. So we’re doing a bit of that stuff. WHAT ABOUT HOME LIFE? You know, being home is also great – obviously, I’m a professional driver now for my children and I can’t believe how much time that takes – to be supportive in the everyday life we have with our children, at the moment because I want to really make sure that I’m there. My girls are turning 14 and the boys are turning nine so, you know, it’s getting a little bit more serious, a bit more intense as they’re in their formative years. And I think it’s important to be there and get them settled, especially after having travelled so long. It’s actually really nice for all of us. IS BEING HOME ALLOWING YOU ALSO TO PLAY ANY GOLF? HAVE YOU CAUGHT THE BUG YET? Hmmm, good question: I’ve never taken a lesson, so that tells you maybe that when I bomb it off the tee, it still sprays a little bit. I do have good feel but, yeah, my dispersion rate is not good! But let’s say if every shot counted, strokeplay I guess, I feel like I could play to a 25 handicap. But with a little practice I could be better. But it’s always one of the things that I’ve wanted to start to try to play a bit more once I retired – and now, if I were to do it more, it’s fun to find the right group of friends so that we can create this environment for golf. And I’m looking forward to that. SO LIFE AFTER TENNIS IS … Really good. I haven’t done any interviews – it’s actually quite funny, the other day I went to surprise some kids playing tennis and one of them asked, “How is Rafa doing?” And I was thinking: “How is Rafa doing?” because I completely checked out. But life is really good in retirement. WHAT ABOUT STEPPING BACK ON THE COURT, PLAYING AN EXHIBITION HERE AND THERE, SO THAT THE FANS CAN COME AND SEE YOU? I would like to go back on the court and still promote tennis, promote sports, promote a healthy lifestyle – I believe in it a lot, obviously. And to play in the coolest parts of the world and see my fans and thank them for their support throughout. It’s been an amazing journey and I really hope the best for my knee, working hard to get it back in shape, but a lot of mileage has gone through this body – but life is good and you won’t find me sitting at home doing the same old, same old. The sport has given me too much and so I’ll be bouncing in and out selectively – for example, I’ll be at this year’s Wimbledon for the first week and, of course, at the Laver Cup in Vancouver [in September]. LASTLY, YOUR FOUNDATION IN SOUTHERN AFRICA AND SWITZERLAND. IT’S VERY IMPORTANT TO YOU. Yes, very important. We’re actually celebrating 20 years this year, so that’s something I’m very proud of. We supported more than 2.5 million children in early childhood education, focusing on getting kids ready for school because we see it really makes a big difference in their lives afterwards. NetJets 45
