An emotional Roger Federer says he is still writing his love letter to the sport that “meant the world” to him as the 20-time Grand Slam champion was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in Newport, Rhode Island. Federer, who was inducted alongside broadcaster and journalist Mary Carillo on Saturday, reflected on his storied career in a speech that brought him to tears a few times. He also won six Australian Open crowns, five US Open titles and one French Open title.
Not just playing, not just winning, but creating something new,” said Federer, who retired in 2022 with 103 ATP Tour titles. I used to play serve and volley, I had a transition game, I played way beyond the baseline sometimes, or on top of the baseline. And I would even try to sneak up on my opponents on my return, and some call it the SABR [Sneak Attack by Roger] today.
As his name entered the Hall of Fame, Federer said he was proud that Switzerland was coming with him, recalling how he loved watching tennis as a 13-year-old ball boy in Basel. So this is not a goodbye.” The Swiss said he was “incredibly lucky” to have played with different generations of tennis players, from Andre Agassi and Lleyton Hewitt to Andy Roddick, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic. But he added that his induction was not only an opportunity to look back on his career, but also ahead to the future of the game.
Keep the camaraderie among the players. Keep pushing this sport we love to the next level and keep getting better, better, and better.” Longtime rival and friend Djokovic was among the tennis giants who congratulated Federer on his milestone, calling him a “great ambassador for our sport”. Arthur Ashe Stadium was packed full of fans, many wearing hats with the distinctive “RF” logo that became commonplace in the sport during Federer’s decade and a half of dominance, featuring 20 Grand Slam titles.
Three years later, his debut on centre court was a straight-sets loss to Agassi. Federer, who last competed at the US Open in 2019 and retired in 2022, then teamed up with John McEnroe and faced Roddick and Agassi in a doubles exhibition.
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