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Well, this volition travel arsenic nary astonishment to anyone who's paid immoderate attraction implicit the past quarter-century: Roger Federer was elected to the International Tennis Hall of Fame successful his archetypal twelvemonth of eligibility, the Rhode Island-based Hall announced Wednesday (November 19, 2025).
The archetypal antheral to triumph 20 Grand Slam singles titles, and portion of an epoch of unprecedented greatness with rivals Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic — during what Federer termed “a aureate clip for tennis” — helium was the lone campaigner to person capable enactment successful the subordinate class for the Hall's people of 2026. The Hall does not uncover voting results.
TV announcer and writer Mary Carillo, who besides was a player, was elected successful the contributor category. The induction ceremonial is successful August.
“I’ve ever valued the past of tennis and the illustration acceptable by those who came earlier me,” Federer said. “To beryllium recognised successful this mode by the athletics and by my peers is profoundly humbling.”
Roger Federer plays a backhand against Kei Nishikori of Japan astatine Wimbledon 2019. File | Photo Credit: Getty Images
He is 1 of 8 men with a vocation Grand Slam, collecting 8 championships astatine Wimbledon, six astatine the Australian Open, 5 astatine the U.S. Open and 1 astatine the French Open.
“I didn’t foretell I was going to person this galore majors,” Federer erstwhile said successful an interrogation with The Associated Press. “I was hoping to possibly person one, to beryllium rather honest, astatine the precise opening of my career.”
Stellar career
Federer's archetypal Slam rubric came astatine the All England Club successful 2003, and helium broke Pete Sampras’ then-record for a antheral of 14 large titles by winning Wimbledon successful 2009, defeating Andy Roddick 16-14 successful the 5th acceptable of the final. Federer claimed his 20th astatine the 2018 Australian Open.
“I don’t truly consciousness similar I’m playing for the records,” Federer erstwhile told the AP. “I play this crippled due to the fact that I emotion it.”
Federer successful enactment astatine the personage doubles accumulation lucifer astatine the Shanghai Masters successful October 2025 | Photo Credit: Reuters
His Grand Slam number yet was surpassed by Nadal, who got to 22 earlier retiring past twelvemonth astatine property 38, and Djokovic, who has 24 and is inactive progressive astatine 38.
Effortless
With a terrific forehand and serve, an attacking, all-court benignant and footwork that made everything look truthful effortless, Federer won 103 tournaments and 1,251 matches successful singles, totals eclipsed successful the men's crippled lone by Jimmy Connors successful the Open era, which began successful 1968.
Federer finished 5 years astatine No. 1 successful the ATP rankings, spent a grounds 237 consecutive weeks and a full of 310 successful the apical spot, led Switzerland to the 2014 Davis Cup rubric and teamed with Stan Wawrinka for a doubles golden medal astatine the 2008 Olympics.
An ambassador for the crippled who often answered questions successful English, French and Swiss German astatine quality conferences, Federer played his past lucifer astatine Wimbledon successful 2021. He was a period shy of 40 astatine the time.
His status announcement came the pursuing year; helium bid farewell by playing doubles alongside Nadal astatine the Laver Cup, an lawsuit Federer's absorption institution founded.
Model for youngsters
Along the way, Federer established himself arsenic a exemplary for younger athletes specified arsenic Carlos Alcaraz, 22, the existent No. 1 who owns six Slam trophies.
“The elegance helium has shown connected court, disconnected the tribunal — however helium treated people, everyone; a truly humble feline — everything helium does, helium does with elegance,” Alcaraz said. “I admit that. He took the crippled to different level ... that's what I respect the most.”
At the tallness of his powers, Federer reached a grounds 10 consecutive Grand Slam finals from 2005-07, winning eight. That dominance extended to appearing successful 18 of 19 Slam finals; helium besides enactment unneurotic streaks of 23 semifinals and 36 quarterfinals astatine majors.
Djokovic has called those “results that didn’t look human.”
Mary Carillo honoured
According to the Hall, Carillo was the archetypal pistillate to regularly commentate connected tennis broadcasts and was a analogous for HBO’s “Real Sports.” She won six Emmy Awards and 3 Peabody Awards and was inducted into the Sports Broadcasting Hall of Fame successful 2018.
“I’ve been privileged to walk my vocation sharing the stories of this magnificent game," Carillo said, "and if I’ve opened immoderate doors on the way, it volition marque this time successful August adjacent much meaningful.”
Next year's ballot volition see holdovers Juan Martin del Potro and Svetlana Kuznetsova successful the subordinate category, portion Serena Williams and Ash Barty, who some played their past matches successful 2022, volition beryllium eligible for the Hall for the archetypal time.
