Roger Federer’s place in tennis history received another formal stamp on Wednesday as the Swiss legend was confirmed as part of the International Tennis Hall of Fame’s Class of 2026 in its first year of election. The Rhode Island-based Hall announced that Federer was the only player nominated in the player category to surpass the required voting threshold, though he never discloses the exact numbers.
Federer often referred to his era as “the golden age of tennis” and created iconic rivalries with Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic, amassing a then-record 20 men’s Grand Slam singles trophies. His resume includes triumphs at all four majors: eight at Wimbledon, six at Melbourne, five at New York and one at Paris, making him one of only eight men to ever complete a career Grand Slam.
Longtime broadcaster and former player Mary Carillo was also selected in the contributor category. All inductees will be honored during a ceremony in August.
“It is a tremendous honor to be inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame and to stand alongside so many great champions of the game … to be recognized in this way by the sport and by my peers is deeply humbling,” Federer said in a statement shared by the ITHF.
THE GREAT CAREER OF ROGER FEDERER
Federer’s Grand Slam journey began at Wimbledon in 2003, where he lifted his first major trophy. Six years later at the same venue, he broke Pete Sampras’ long-standing men’s record of 14 slams when he outlasted Andy Roddick in an epic 2009 final that stretched to 16-14 in the deciding set. His major tally eventually reached 20 when he clinched the Australian Open crown in 2018.
Rafael Nadal eventually surpassed Federer’s major ranking, ending his career with 22 Grand Slam titles and retiring at 38, while Novak Djokovic – the same age and still competing – moved the scale to 24.
Federer’s achievements extended far beyond the Slams. Renowned for his silky footwork, aggressive all-court game, fluid serve and forehand, he amassed 103 tournament-level titles and 1,251 match wins—numbers surpassed only by Jimmy Connors in the Open era.
Overall, he ruled the ATP rankings for 310 weeks, including an unprecedented stretch of 237 weeks without relinquishing the No. 1 spot. His resume also includes Switzerland’s historic Davis Cup win in 2014 and Olympic doubles gold with Stan Wawrinka in 2008.
He officially announced his retirement in 2022 and signed a doubles partnership with Nadal at the Laver Cupan event created by his own management team.
During his career, Federer became a role model for the next generation – including today’s world number one, 22-year-old Carlos Alcaraz, who has already collected six Grand Slam trophies.
He is one of eight men with a career Grand Slam, having collected eight Wimbledon titles, six at the Australian Open, five at the US Open and one at the French Open.
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Issued by:
sabyasachi chowdhury
Published on:
November 19, 2025
