The Swiss player is overcome with emotion during the ceremony.
With a voice choked with tears, Roger Federer was inducted into the Tennis Hall of Fame. “This is one of the greatest honors of my life,” Federer said during the festivities in Newport, Rhode Island. The 45-year-old, who retired in 2022, was overcome with emotion several times during his speech.
In front of numerous tennis greats, the 20-time Grand Slam champion looked back on his career and thanked his teammates, fans, officials, and his family. “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 just as much as I do.”
In a humorous opening, the eight-time Wimbledon champion recalled some unusual statistics from his career. For example, he wore more than 5,000 headbands and around 7,000 pairs of socks. The ceremony became particularly moving when Federer looked back on his journey from being a 13-year-old ball boy at the ATP tournament in Basel to reaching the pinnacle of world tennis.
“I really want to thank every ball kid who has ever stood on the court for hours during my matches or during all of our matches. I see you. I thank you. I was you,” said Federer. Time and again, he had to wipe tears from his eyes as he paid tribute to his idol Stefan Edberg, other tennis greats, and members of his inner circle. Despite the end of his career, Federer emphasized his enduring connection to the sport of tennis.
