An emotional Roger Federer said he was 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, reflected on his storied career in a speech that brought him to tears a few times.
“This is one of the greatest honours of my life,” Federer said. “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.”
His opening words, after his introduction speech from his wife Mirka, were: “Oh man. This is very high level and a tough act to follow.”
He joked: “I don’t know if you have been practising secretly” before praising his wife’s presentation of the 274th Hall of Famer.
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It began to get tough for him about halfway through, when he talked about his childhood hero, Stefan Edberg, when he said these are “happy tears.”
Then he was brought to tears again when he spoke about his longtime coach Severin Luthi, before he wanted to thank Mirka for helping him on his journey.
“Now the Mirka part,” he said, pausing before breaking into tears. “Oh gosh, this such a mess.”
He tried to joke, but the tears took over like a quick return at the net.
“I need tissues and sunglasses, everything to protect me right now,” he told the crowd, fighting back more tears.
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.
And he did it all while playing with elegance, a signature headband – apparently wearing more than 5,000 of them during his career, he quipped in his address – and almost always two pairs of socks.
“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 husband, father and friend.
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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,” Federer said.
“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.”
Billie Jean King (left) introduced Mary Carillo for her induction to the International Tennis Hall of Fame. (Getty Images: ITHF/Clive Brunskill)
Carillo, inducted as a contributor, is a member of the Sports Broadcasting Hall of Fame.
King said: “She has earned her spot in sports journalism and she has earned her spot in Newport.”
Reuters/AP
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