Roger Federer was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame and a surprise greeting was prepared.
Following the voting results, Federer was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame class of 2026; the induction ceremony will take place in Newport at the end of August 2026.
Federer held the top spot in the ATP rankings for 310 weeks, 237 of them in a row. He won 103 titles, including 20 Grand Slam titles and 28 Masters titles.
Members of the Hall of Fame welcomed him with names such as Stefan Edberg, Boris Becker, Rod Laver, Billie Jean King, Gabriela Sabatini, Chris Evert, Stan Smith, Roy Emerson, Tracy Austin, Michael Chang, Pam Shriver, and others.
I thought they would simply say something like ‘welcome’ and wave at the camera, but in fact each of them spoke up. It was incredibly meaningful to hear one’s idols at such a moment, – said Federer. – For me it’s a great honor to be inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame and to stand alongside such great champions. Throughout my career I have always valued the history of tennis and the example set by those who came before me. It was very special to receive this news at the Swiss Tennis Center, among the next generation of players, in the place where my own career began. Being recognized is deeply moving. I look forward to traveling to Newport next August to celebrate this special moment with the tennis community.
– Roger Federer
Class of 2026 and the Induction Ceremony
The Class of 2026 also includes sportscaster and American journalist Mary Carillo (in the ‘Contributor’ category); induction into the International Tennis Hall of Fame will take place during the Newport ceremony from August 27 to 29, 2026.
This event underscores tennis’s rich heritage and recognizes the contributions of notable figures to the development of the sport.