At 45, Roger Federer was overcome with emotion as he was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame, marking another defining moment in his remarkable career. The 20-time Grand Slam champion struggled to hold back tears during the ceremony in Newport, Rhode Island, as he reflected on his journey and the people who helped shape one of tennis’s most celebrated careers.
Federer’s final years on the court were marked by both brilliance and a gradual battle with persistent knee problems. He played his last professional match at the 2022 Laver Cup in London, where he teamed up with longtime rival and friend Rafael Nadal in doubles.
The emotional farewell brought an end to a career that produced 20 Grand Slam singles titles, 103 ATP singles trophies and six Wimbledon championships, cementing his place among the greatest players in tennis history.
Federer’s emotion was evident throughout his speech as he reflected on a career that had taken him from a 13-year-old ball boy at an ATP tournament in Basel to one of the greatest players in tennis history. “This is one of the greatest honours of my life,” Federer said, before adding, “My goal was to spend my life doing something I love, with people who love it as much as I do.”
Fighting back tears as he thanked his wife Mirka, his tennis idol Stefan Edberg and the ball kids who stood through his matches, Federer joked about needing “tissues and sunglasses” before describing his speech as a continuing “love letter to tennis.”
Federer was inducted alongside fellow tennis figures Carlos Moyá, Ana Ivanović and Daniel Nestor, adding another chapter to a career that has already earned him a place among the sport’s all-time greats.
As he took his place in the International Tennis Hall of Fame, Federer’s emotional reflections offered a fitting conclusion to his playing career, while his words made clear that his connection to tennis remains as strong as ever. “My time as a player is done, but tennis will always stand at the intersection of everything I care most about,” he said.
