Well, it won't come as a surprise to anyone who's paid attention over the past quarter century: Roger Federer has been elected to the International Tennis Hall of Fame in his first year of induction, the Rhode Island-based Hall announced Wednesday.
The first man to win 20 Grand Slam singles titles and part of an era of unprecedented greatness with rivals Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic – a period Federer called “a golden time for tennis” – he was the only candidate to receive sufficient support in the player category for the Hall's 2026 class.
Players can be considered five years after the tour and must be selected by 75% of a voting panel that includes tennis media, historians, industry leaders, Hall members and fans. The hall does not disclose the voting results.
TV host and journalist Mary Carillo, who was also a player, was selected in the author category. The inauguration ceremony will take place in August.
“I have always appreciated the history of tennis and the example of those who came before me,” Federer said. “To have this kind of recognition from the sport and my peers is very humbling.”
He is one of only eight men to win a Grand Slam, winning eight championships at Wimbledon, six at the Australian Open, five at the US Open and one at the French Open.
“I didn’t expect to have so many major majors,” Federer once told The Associated Press. “To be honest, I was hoping I would have one early on in my career.”
Federer's first Grand Slam title came at the All England Club in 2003, and he broke Pete Sampras' then men's record of 14 major titles by winning Wimbledon in 2009, beating Andy Roddick 16-14 in the fifth set of the final. Federer finished 20th at the 2018 Australian Open.
“I don’t really feel like I play for records,” Federer once told the AP. “I play this game because I like it.”
His Grand Slam tally was eventually surpassed by Nadal, who had 22 before retiring last year at age 38, and Djokovic, who had 24 but is still active at 38.
With a stunning forehand and serve, an attacking all-court style and footwork that made everything look easy, Federer won 103 tournaments and 1,251 singles matches.
Federer ended five years at No. 1 in the ATP rankings, spent a record 237 consecutive weeks and a total of 310 at No. 1, led Switzerland to the 2014 Davis Cup title and, with Stan Wawrinka, won the doubles gold medal at the 2008 Beijing Olympics.
An ambassador of the game who often answered questions in English, French and Swiss German at press conferences, Federer played his final match at Wimbledon in 2021. At that time he was under 40 years old.
The announcement of his retirement came the following year; he said goodbye by playing doubles alongside Nadal at the Laver Cup, an event founded by Federer's management company.
Along the way, Federer has established himself as a model for young athletes such as 22-year-old Carlos Alcaraz, the current No. 1 with six Grand Slam trophies.
“The elegance that he showed on and off the court—the way he treated people, everyone; a really humble guy — everything he does, he does with elegance,” Alcaraz said. “I appreciate that. He took the game to the next level… that's what I admire the most.”
At the peak of his powers, Federer reached a record 10 consecutive Grand Slam finals during the 2005–07 season, winning eight. This dominance extended to appearances in 18 of the 19 Grand Slam finals; he also made a streak of 23 semi-finals and 36 quarter-finals in major tournaments.
Djokovic called these “results that don’t seem human.”
Carillo was the first woman to regularly commentate on tennis broadcasts and was a correspondent for HBO's “Real Sports,” Hall said. She has won six Emmy Awards and three Peabody Awards and was inducted into the Sports Broadcasting Hall of Fame in 2018.
“I have been privileged to spend my entire career sharing stories about this great game,” Carillo said, “and if I open any doors along the way, it will make this August day even more meaningful.”
Remaining players Juan Martin del Potro and Svetlana Kuznetsova will be on next year's ballot, while Serena Williams and Ash Barty, who played their final matches in 2022, will be eligible for the Hall for the first time.
