Roger Federer confirmed Friday that he will team up with fellow Grand Slam winning star Martina Hingis for Switzerland in the mixed doubles at the 2016 Olympics in Rio. "Yes, I will play with Martina in the mixed," 34-year-old Federer told sport360.com in Dubai. There had been widespread speculation that the two superstars would play together in Brazil.
Hingis, 35, had reportedly made the offer to play with Federer and was waiting for a response from the winner of 17 Grand Slam titles. "I'm very excited about that because I haven't played with Martina I guess in 15 years," said Federer. "I looked up to her when I was younger, I thought she was the most unbelievable talent. She's almost my age and she was winning grand slams while I was still at the national tennis centre, trying to make it on the tour and I couldn't believe how good she was." Federer and Hingis last played mixed doubles together in the Hopman Cup in Australia in 2001, an event they won.
Federer is also set to play men's doubles with Stan Wawrinka in Rio while Hingis will play women's doubles with Belinda Bencic. World number three Federer won Olympic gold in men's doubles with Wawrinka in Beijing in 2008 and silver in singles behind Andy Murray in London four years later.
"I've always said the Olympics is very important to me," said Federer. "Every Olympic (Games) has been a super-amazing experience, an eye-opener, a great learning curve for me, seeing other athletes, getting inspired and motivated, carrying the flag is such a proud moment in my career and my life as a person, to have done that twice for Switzerland was incredible in Athens and in Beijing. "Winning the gold with Stan, meeting Mirka (his wife) in Sydney 2000, getting the silver in London, it felt like I won gold, but I was still very happy and it was incredible the combination to win the Olympics at Wimbledon, it was just maybe never happen again in my lifetime, so I really cherish that moment."