Summer is coming, the Australian summer, and Roger Federer is preparing to return to competitive tennis in January at the Hopman Cup in Perth after a six-month injury break, the first such extended break of his career.
Federer, the 17-time Grand Slam singles champion who is now 35, spoke with The New York Times on Friday from his training base in Dubai about the coming season and about his family, which now includes two sets of twins: 7-year-old daughters Charlene Riva and Myla Rose, and 2-year-old sons Lenny and Leo.
Here are some excerpts from the interview, which has been edited and condensed.