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.
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“This is one of the greatest honours of my life,” said Federer. “They call this the Hall of Fame, but fame was never the goal.
“My goal was to spend my life doing something I love … with people who love it as much as I do.”
The Swiss captured a men’s-record eight Wimbledon titles and spent 310 weeks as the world number one. He also won six Australian Open crowns, five US Open titles and one French Open title.
“Tennis meant the world to me. Not just playing, not just winning, but creating something new,” said Federer, who retired in 2022 with 103 ATP Tour titles.
“It’s a mentality I have. 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.
“This is what was important to me on the court, but so much of what was really important happened off the court.”
The 45-year-old got emotional while thanking his coaches, doctors and family, including wife Mirka, who praised Federer for his character off the court as a husband, father and friend.
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.
“I’m still writing my love letter to tennis, and my time as a player is done, but tennis will always stand at the intersection of everything I care most about,” he said.
“My family, our friendships, the past 40 years, the future we’re building — tennis, for me, is responsible for it all. 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.
“We all leave the court eventually, but the sport keeps evolving,” said Federer. “And as the pace of professional tennis speeds up, as the sport becomes even more global, I so hope it will keep some of that amateur spirit. Keep the camaraderie among the players.
“I hope the players will stay young at heart and stay true to their authentic selves, and always remember, never stop asking questions or taking risks.
“Do things with the game we’ve never seen before. 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”.
“We all knew this day is going to come sooner or later, and I don’t think anybody deserves this more than you,” the Serbian said in a video message.
“What you have achieved, what you have represented and still represent for the sport of tennis and sport in general is something truly incredible and remarkable.”
Federer returns to court, bids goodbye
Earlier this week, Federer returned to the US Open for a prime-time exhibition match against Roddick in an event billed as “An Icon Returns to New York”.
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.
“It’s great to be back in New York,” Federer said. “I have incredible memories, obviously, of this court, of the fans here, of the city.”
He reminisced about visiting for the first time to play juniors in 1998 and reaching the final. 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.
