Emotional Federer full of love and gratitude at Hall of Fame induction

Account subscription benefits alongside Premium Stories, Editorials, Opinions and more. Unlock these with Subscription

Former tennis players Roger Federer and Mary Carillo pose on stage after being inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame. | Photo Credit: Reuters

An emotional Roger Federer said he was still writing his love letter to the sport that "meant the world" to him on Saturday (August 29, 2026) 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," 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 ‌U.S. 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.

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.