Tearful Roger Federer inducted into Tennis Hall of Fame

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.

“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.”