March 19, 2008; Indian Wells, CA, USA; Roger Federer (SUI) speaks in the interview room following his match against Ivan Ljubicic (CRO) in the round of sixteen of the Pacific Life Open at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden. Federer defeated Ljubicic 6-3, 6-4. Mandatory Credit: Jerry Lai-USA TODAY Sports
Roger Federer is just as talented off-court as he is on it. The Swiss maestro is fluent in six languages and often tries to communicate in them. Federer speaks his native Swiss, English, German and French. The fans have seen him try his hand (or maybe tongue…?) at Italian and Mandarin during Italian Open and Shanghai Masters.
Born in Switzerland, Roger Federer often prefers to speak in Swiss, as it is his native language. The Swiss star had admitted that he talks with his family in Swiss and the language feels like home to him. During the Basel Indoors in 2013, Federer gave an interview in Swiss, showcasing his command over the language.
After Swiss, Federer is most comfortable in speaking English. English is the most used language on tour and the 20 time Grand Slam champion is fluent in it. Over the years, Federer has shown his great sense of humor during interviews in English, especially during his post match talks with Jim Courier.
Federer grew up in Basel, Switzerland, which is close to the borders of Germany and France. Federer learnt German at a young age as Swiss-German was spoken a lot in Switzerland. He relocated to a French-speaking region of Switzerland when he was fourteen years old in order to join a tennis academy, which helped him become fluent in French. The Swiss star frequently gives interview in all four languages.
Roger Federer tried his hand at Mandarin during the Shanghai Masters, impressing the crowd. The crowd loved his attempt, giving him a huge cheer and support.
The 20-time Grand Slam champion even spoke Italian at the Italian Open, once again delighting the spectators.
Roger Federer opens up about his multi-lingual skills
According to Tennis World, Roger Federer has opened up about his love for other languages. The Swiss maestro admitted that speaking French takes him back to his teenage, when he was training under Pierre Paganini. Federer left his home to train under his coach and learnt French in the process.
“When I speak French, I am more in the world of tennis, technique, physical, because I always do my technical training in French with Pierre Paganini. It makes me think of school also. When I was 14 or 16 years old, I was in Lausanne at school.
“When I speak English, it’s easygoing, it’s relaxed. We speak a lot of English at home, too. It’s just easy. Swiss-German is my family, it’s me. It’s home. It’s who I am really, I believe.”
The Swiss star further added that he feels English is easy as they speak a lot of English at home. He synonyms it with travelling around the world, as English is the universal language. When discussing Swiss-German, Federer admits that he feels at home. He believes he is at his natural best when talking in Swiss-German.
