An emotional Roger Federer shed tears during his speech at the official induction ceremony at the International Tennis Hall of Fame in Newport, Rhode Island, this past weekend. The 20-time Grand Slam champion was honored alongside journalist Mary Carillo.
In his speech, Federer shared: “This is one of the greatest honors of my life. They call this the Hall of Fame, but fame was never my goal. My goal was to spend my life doing what I love, with people who love it as much as I do.”
The Swiss legend holds the men's record with eight Wimbledon titles, along with six Australian Open titles, five US Open titles, and one French Open title. He spent 310 weeks as world No. 1 and retired in 2022 with 103 ATP Tour titles.
A visibly moved Federer said: “Tennis means so much to me. It's not just about playing, not just about winning, but about creating something new.”
The 45-year-old expressed gratitude to his coaches, doctors, and family, especially his wife Mirka. He recalled his days as a ball boy in Basel at age 13 and said he is proud that Switzerland is being inducted alongside him: “I'm still writing my love letter to tennis. My playing days are over, but tennis will always be where everything I care about intersects. This is not goodbye.”
He also offered advice to future generations: “I hope players will stay young at heart, stay true to themselves, keep asking questions, and take risks. Do things that have never been seen in tennis and continue to take our sport to new heights.”
Longtime rival Novak Djokovic sent congratulations via video, calling Federer “a great ambassador of this sport.” Djokovic said: “We all knew this day would come. I don't think anyone deserves this more than you. What you've achieved and what you represent for tennis and sport in general is truly extraordinary and amazing.”
Before the induction, Federer made a stunning return at the US Open during an exhibition match titled “An Icon Returns to New York” against former rival Andy Roddick. Arthur Ashe Stadium was packed, with many fans wearing caps bearing the “RF” logo synonymous with the Swiss player's 15-year dominance.
He shared memories of New York, from his first junior appearance in 1998 reaching the final, to his 2001 center-court debut losing to Andy Agassi. Federer also teamed up with John McEnroe in a doubles exhibition against Roddick and Agassi.
