Sacha Kahaki
For most professional sportspeople, the question of what comes after retirement can be a tricky one. Some go into coaching, commentating or sports management, others become entrepreneurs and some choose a life away from the spotlight.
Not Marcus Daniell. The former tennis star is busier than he ever was on the courts of Wimbledon and the Australian Open. Or even while winning medals at the Olympics.
Today, the 35-year-old juggles a role at the International Olympic Committee (IOC) with High Impact Athletes. The charity he founded in 2020, which works with top international athletes. Such as Kiwi boxer Joseph Parker, NFL pro Patrick Laird and Greek tennis player Stefanos Tsitsipas. All who has ranked as high as world number three.
But it’s Marcus’ latest gig that’s filling a lot of his hours. His heart too – as father to six- month-old son Rowan.
.jpg?resize=380%2C285)
Speaking to Woman’s Day from the home he and his US-born lawyer wife Caroline recently bought near Raglan. It’s clear that daddy duty is his most enjoyable role to date.
“Becoming a father has been an incredible experience,” says Marcus
“To be honest, though, I’ve never been so anxious or worried since Rowan was born. For the first few weeks, I couldn’t sleep because I was terrified that I’d swaddled him wrong and that he’d suffocate. That feeling of responsibility and love is totally new for me – and so is the constant sleep deprivation!”
The couple welcomed their first child in San Francisco, where they spent a year for Caroline’s job. Marcus’ tennis commitments prior to his retirement at the ASB Classic in January.
“We’d hoped to be home for Rowan’s birth, but we couldn’t get the paperwork for our dog Loki done in time and we didn’t want to leave him there,” he recalls.
“We moved home when Rowan was five weeks old so I could play my final event in Auckland. It was super-special to compete one last time with my son in the crowd.”
It’s a major change of pace for someone who once lived out of suitcases. And hung out with tennis superstars like Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Andy Murray.
“I was on a player council with those guys for two years,” tells Marcus.
“In the beginning, it was hard to speak up when I was surrounded by the biggest tennis players of a generation because I’m just a farm kid from the Wairarapa!
“But I was pleasantly surprised that those guys are just as nice, if not nicer, off camera as they are on it. Roger takes the time to remember names and ask how your family is doing. He’s already a legend, so he could be nasty and get away it it, but all those guys are incredibly genuine.”
Rubbing shoulders with the world’s top athletes is a long way from Masterton. It’s where a young Marcus honed his sporting skills.
“I was in the New Zealand squad for both tennis and soccer, but because of training commitments, I had to choose one. I went with tennis because winning in tennis is all down to you, whereas with soccer, you can have the game of your life and the team can still lose.”
After training in Slovakia and the UK, Marcus moved onto the professional circuit. He competed in all the Grand Slams and climbed to a world ranking of 34. A highlight was competing at the Rio and Tokyo Olympics, winning bronze at the latter
But following a knee injury, Marcus made the decision to retire from tennis, one he hasn’t regretted for a minute.
“I’ve done an insane amount of travel since I was 17, spending 10 months of every year living out of a suitcase,” he explains.
“I’m very happy to be settled in one place and in a great community with other young parents, where I surf as much as possible.”
At the Paris Olympics, Marcus followed in the footsteps of fellow Kiwi sporting legends Dame Barbara Kendall and Sarah Walker. Marcus secured an eight-year seat on the IOC, taking on leadership of the NZ and Oceanic Olympic committees
Although it’s a busier role than Marcus expected, it aligns perfectly with his ethos of giving back.
“When I first started making money from tennis, which was only about 10 years ago, I felt this really powerful urge to donate some of my earnings. That led me to the concept of effective giving, where your donation should do as much good as it possibly can. That eventually led to me starting my charity by bringing together a bunch of athletes to donate to charities in global health, poverty, animal welfare and climate change.”
Marcus proudly highlights a campaign his charity launched last year. It focuses on the one in three women worldwide who experience abuse in their lifetime.
“After Ugandan Olympic athlete Rebecca Cheptegei died after being burned by her partner, we ran a campaign in Uganda that increased calls to the violence abuse hotline,” tells Marcus.
“We’re in talks to take this campaign globally because violence against woman is a worldwide problem.”
For now, though, Marcus and Caroline are trying to get the balance right with work and childcare. Caroline splits her time working for a US philanthropic organisation and teaching law at the University of Waikato.
“I’m usually on baby duty in the mornings, Caroline takes over in the afternoons and nights are a shared response,” says Marcus.
“I’m the youngest of three and Caroline is the youngest of four, so we’d love Rowan to have a sibling one day, but for now, we’re excited for him to grow up in nature near the ocean, but also to travel the US to discover that side of his heritage.”
