Roger Federer secured his place in tennis history as the International Tennis Hall of Fame elected him in his first year of eligibility.
On Wednesday, the Hall announced that Federer, the first man to win 20 Grand Slam singles titles, gained enough support in the player category for the class of 2026. Moreover, he joins legends Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic in defining what he once described as “a golden time for tennis.”
Federer’s career shines with eight Wimbledon crowns, six Australian Open titles, five U.S. Open victories, and one French Open triumph. Consequently, he became one of only eight men to achieve a career Grand Slam. He captured his first major at Wimbledon in 2003, and later, in 2009, he broke Pete Sampras’ record by winning his 15th Slam. Finally, he claimed his 20th Grand Slam at the 2018 Australian Open.
In addition, Federer collected 103 tournament titles and 1,251 singles match wins, ranking second only to Jimmy Connors in the Open era. He dominated the ATP rankings for 310 weeks, including a record 237 consecutive weeks. Furthermore, he led Switzerland to the Davis Cup title in 2014 and earned Olympic gold in doubles with Stan Wawrinka in 2008.
Federer retired in 2022 after a farewell doubles match alongside Nadal at the Laver Cup. Meanwhile, current world No. 1 Carlos Alcaraz praised Federer’s elegance and humility, emphasising his influence on younger players.
Alongside Federer, Mary Carillo earned recognition in the contributor category. She became the first woman to regularly commentate on tennis broadcasts and won six Emmy Awards and three Peabody Awards.
Ultimately, the Hall will host the induction ceremony in August in Rhode Island, celebrating both Federer’s legendary career and Carillo’s groundbreaking contributions.
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