Roger Federer was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame on Saturday, fighting back tears as he described the honor as “one of the greatest honors of my life.”
The 45-year-old former player, a winner of 20 Grand Slam singles titles, was overcome with emotion several times as he addressed an audience that included many tennis legends during a ceremony in Newport, Rhode Island.
He wiped away tears as he arrived on stage after being introduced by his wife, Mirka Vavrinec.
The Swiss legend, who retired from tennis in 2022, paid tribute to his opponents, officials, fans, family, and friends who shared his career during a long speech that became a heartfelt homage to the sport.
“This is one of the greatest honors of my life,” Federer said. “They call it the Hall of Fame, but fame was never my goal.”
“My goal was to spend my life doing something I love... with people who love it as much as I do,” said Federer, who spent 310 weeks at the top of the ATP rankings.
In a humorous opening, the eight-time Wimbledon champion looked back on his career by highlighting some of his lesser-known statistics.
“I’m talking about the numbers that really give you an idea of the situation. Between 1998, when I made my ATP Tour debut, and my retirement in 2022, I wore more than 5,000 headbands. That’s more than (Björn) Borg and (John) McEnroe combined,” he joked.
“But really, there’s no way to measure what it means to be here. It’s difficult to put into words,” Federer said as he reflected on his journey, from starting at 13 as a ball boy at an ATP tournament in his hometown of Basel to reaching the pinnacle of tennis.
Federer again had to wipe away tears as he mentioned his idol Stefan Edberg, with whom he played an exhibition doubles match the previous day, as well as other tennis stars, his family, and successive members of his coaching team.
“I need tissues, sunglasses, and everything I can get to protect myself right now,” he joked. “It’s a real disaster.”
“It’s been an incredible journey,” Federer said. “For me, the International Tennis Hall of Fame is a great opportunity to look back, but also to look ahead.”
“As you can see, I’m still writing my love letter to tennis. My playing career is over, but tennis will always remain at the heart of everything that matters most to me: my family, our friendships, these past 40 years, and the future we are building. For me, I owe all of that to tennis,” he concluded.
