Browsing: Federer

Nov 19, 2025, 05:56 AM ET

Well, this will come as no surprise to anyone who’s paid any attention over the past quarter-century: Roger Federer was elected to the International Tennis Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility, 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 — during what Federer termed “a golden time for tennis” — he was the only candidate to receive enough support in the player category for the Hall’s class of 2026. The Hall does not reveal voting results.

TV announcer and journalist Mary Carillo, who also was a player, was elected in the contributor category. The induction ceremony is in August.

Roger Federer was the first man to win 20 Grand Slam singles titles, a total later surpassed by his rivals Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic. His last match came at Wimbledon in 2021. Photo by TPN/Getty Images

“I’ve always valued the history of tennis and the example set by those who came before me,” Federer said. “To be recognized in this way by the sport and by my peers is deeply humbling.”

He is one of eight men with a career Grand Slam, collecting eight championships at Wimbledon, six at the Australian Open, five at the US Open and one at the French Open.

“I didn’t predict I was going to have this many majors,” Federer once said in an interview with The Associated Press. “I was hoping to maybe have one, to be quite honest, at the very beginning of my career.”

Federer’s first Slam title came at the All England Club in 2003, and he broke Pete Sampras’ then-record for a male of 14 major titles by winning Wimbledon in 2009, defeating Andy Roddick 16-14 in the fifth set of the final. Federer claimed his 20th at the 2018 Australian Open.

“I don’t really feel like I’m playing for the records,” Federer once told the AP. “I play this game because I love it.”

His Grand Slam count eventually was surpassed by Nadal, who got to 22 before retiring last year at age 38, and Djokovic, who has 24 and is still active at 38.

With a terrific forehand and serve, an attacking, all-court style and footwork that made everything seem so effortless, Federer won 103 tournaments and 1,251 matches in singles, totals eclipsed in the men’s game only by Jimmy Connors in the Open era, which began in 1968.

Federer finished five years at No. 1 in the ATP rankings, spent a record 237 consecutive weeks and a total of 310 in the top spot, led Switzerland to the 2014 Davis Cup title and teamed with Stan Wawrinka for a doubles gold medal at the 2008 Olympics.

An ambassador for the game who often answered questions in English, French and Swiss German at news conferences, Federer played his last match at Wimbledon in 2021. He was a month shy of 40 at the time.

His retirement announcement came the following year; he bid farewell by playing doubles alongside Nadal at the Laver Cup, an event Federer’s management company founded.

Along the way, Federer established himself as a model for younger athletes such as Carlos Alcaraz, 22, the current No. 1 who owns six Slam trophies.

“The elegance he has shown on court, off the court — how 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 another level … that’s what I admire the most.”

At the height of his powers, Federer reached a record 10 consecutive Grand Slam finals from 2005-07, winning eight. That dominance extended to appearing in 18 of 19 Slam finals; he also put together streaks of 23 semifinals and 36 quarterfinals at majors.

Djokovic has called those “results that didn’t seem human.”

According to the Hall, Carillo was the first woman to regularly commentate on tennis broadcasts and was a correspondent for HBO’s “Real Sports.” She won six Emmy Awards and three Peabody Awards and was inducted into the Sports Broadcasting Hall of Fame in 2018.

“I’ve been privileged to spend my career sharing the stories of this magnificent game,” Carillo said, “and if I’ve opened any doors along the way, it will make this day in August even more meaningful.”

Next year’s ballot will include holdovers Juan Martin del Potro and Svetlana Kuznetsova in the player category, while Serena Williams and Ashleigh Barty, who both played their last matches in 2022, will be eligible for the Hall for the first time.

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Roger Federer leads the list of nominees announced Wednesday for the International Tennis Hall of Fame’s class of 2026. He was the first man to win 20 Grand Slam singles titles and ushered in an era of unprecedented greatness with younger rivals Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic.

With a terrific forehand and serve, an attacking, all-court style, and footwork that helped make everything seem so effortless, Federer won 103 trophies and 1,251 matches in singles, totals surpassed among men only by Jimmy Connors in the Open era, which began in 1968.

Federer finished five seasons at No. 1 in the ATP rankings, spent a record 237 consecutive weeks in that spot, led Switzerland to the 2014 Davis Cup title and teamed with Stan Wawrinka to claim a doubles gold medal at the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

At the height of his powers, Federer reached a record 10 consecutive Grand Slam finals from 2005 to 2007, capturing eight titles in that span. He extended that dominance by making 18 of 19 major finals into 2010. There also were streaks of 36 quarterfinals in a row and 23 straight semifinals.

Federer, an ambassador for the game who often spoke in English, French and Swiss German at news conferences, played his last match at Wimbledon in 2021. He was a month shy of 40 at the time.

2026 International Tennis HOF Nominees

Roger FedererSvetlana KuznetsovaJuan Martin del PotroMary Carillo*Marshall Happer** Contributor category

His retirement announcement didn’t come until the following year, and he bid farewell with an appearance alongside Nadal in doubles at the Laver Cup, an event his management company founded.

Federer is joined on the ballot in the Hall’s player category by two-time major singles champion Svetlana Kuznetsova and 2009 US Open winner Juan Martin del Potro. There are two nominees in the contributor category: TV announcer Mary Carillo and administrator Marshall Happer.

The inductees will be announced in November.

Federer is among eight men with at least one singles trophy from each of the sport’s four most important events, winning eight at Wimbledon, six at the Australian Open, five at the US Open and one at the French Open. He completed the career Grand Slam at Roland-Garros in 2009.

His first major championship came at the All England Club in 2003, and he broke Pete Sampras’ then-record for a man of 14 Slam titles by winning Wimbledon in 2009, defeating Andy Roddick 16-14 in the fifth set of the final.

Eventually, Federer was overtaken in the Grand Slam standings by Nadal, who retired last year at age 38 with 22, and Djokovic, who is still active at 38 with 24.

“I always say it’s wonderful to be part of that selective group,” Federer told The Associated Press in 2021. “How can you compare? What’s better? To win when you’re old or when you’re young? I have no idea, you know. Is it better to win on clay or grass? Don’t know. Is it better to have super dominant years or come back from injury? I don’t know. It really is impossible to grasp.”

Federer’s run of five consecutive US Opens — no man has won two in a row there since — ended in the 2009 final with a five-set loss to del Potro. At the time, del Potro was not quite 21 and seemed destined for an elite career thanks in part to his booming forehand, but a series of wrist and knee injuries derailed the 6-foot-6 Argentine.

He ended up with 22 tour-level titles and a career-high ranking of No. 3 while reaching one other Grand Slam final, finishing as the runner-up to Djokovic at the 2018 US Open. Del Potro earned a silver medal at the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics and helped Argentina win the Davis Cup that year. His last appearance at a major tournament was a fourth-round run at the 2019 French Open.

Kuznetsova won major trophies in singles at the 2004 US Open and 2009 French Open and in doubles at the Australian Open in 2005 and 2012. She got to No. 2 in the WTA rankings in singles and No. 3 in doubles and was part of three championships with Russia in the competition now known as the Billie Jean King Cup. Kuznetsova won 18 tour-level events in singles and 16 in doubles.

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Sep 17, 2025, 07:17 PM ETSAN FRANCISCO — Roger Federer threw in a few trick serves and several between-the-legs shots…