Roger Federer fought back tears as he was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame on Saturday, describing the recognition as one of the greatest honours of his life and paying an emotional tribute to the sport that defined his career.
The 45-year-old Swiss great, who retired in 2022 after winning 20 Grand Slam singles titles, addressed a gathering of tennis legends, family members, friends and former colleagues at the ceremony in Newport.
“This is one of the greatest honors of my life,” Federer said. “They call this the Hall of Fame, but fame was never the goal.”
Instead, Federer said his ambition had been to spend his life doing something he loved alongside people who shared that passion.
The eight-time Wimbledon champion mixed emotion with humour as he reflected on some of the less celebrated statistics of his career. He estimated that between joining the ATP Tour in 1998 and retiring in 2022, he had worn more than 5,000 headbands and around 7,000 pairs of socks — partly because he routinely wore two pairs at a time.
“But really, there’s no way to measure what it means to be here,” he said. “It’s hard to put it into words.”
Federer traced his journey back to his childhood in Switzerland, recalling how he had served as a 13-year-old ball boy at the ATP tournament in Basel before eventually becoming one of the most successful players in tennis history.
He used the occasion to thank ball kids around the world, telling them: “I see you. I thank you. I was you.”
Federer repeatedly became emotional while acknowledging those who had influenced his career, including his childhood idol Stefan Edberg, fellow players, coaches, support staff and members of his family.
“I need tissues and sunglasses and everything to protect me right now,” he joked after wiping away tears. “This is such a mess.”
Federer said his induction provided an opportunity not only to reflect on his playing career but also to consider his continuing relationship with the sport.
“My time as a player is done,” he said, “but tennis will always stand at the intersection of everything I care most about: my family, our friendships, the past 40 years, the future we’re building.”
“It’s been an incredible journey,” Federer added. “As you can tell, I’m still writing my love letter to tennis.”