Roger Federer was reduced to tears several times during an emotional International Tennis Hall of Fame induction ceremony in Newport, Rhode Island, as the 20-time Grand Slam champion reflected on his family, coaches and the people who shaped one of the greatest careers in tennis history. Federer, who was formally inducted on Saturday, struggled to contain his emotions even before beginning his speech after his wife Mirka delivered the introduction. The 45-year-old repeatedly paused during an address that stretched close to half an hour, at one stage joking that the interruptions caused by his tears could keep him speaking until sunrise.
The most emotional passage came when Federer turned towards Mirka. He stopped, gathered himself and said, “Now the Mirka part,” before breaking down again. “Oh gosh, this is such a mess,” Federer said as he tried to continue, later joking that he needed “tissues and sunglasses” to finish his remarks.
Federer described Mirka as one of the central figures in both his life and career, saying their relationship had allowed them to face everything together. “She and I grab each other’s hands, and we run through walls,” Federer said.
Mirka had earlier taken Federer back to the beginning of their relationship at the 2000 Sydney Olympics, pointing out that when they first got together, he had won zero ATP Tour titles. She would eventually watch him collect 103 of them, including 20 Grand Slam crowns. She also recalled a period early in his career when she occasionally warmed him up before matches. In one of the lighter stories from the ceremony, Mirka remembered Andy Roddick joking after a Cincinnati final that he could not believe he had been beaten by someone whose girlfriend had helped warm him up.
Federer remembers the people behind the champion
Federer’s tears were not restricted to his tribute to Mirka. He became emotional while speaking about his childhood idol and later coach, Stefan Edberg, as well as the coaches and members of his team who had accompanied him through different stages of his career.
He also paid tribute to the late Peter Carter and Peter Lundgren and struggled to maintain his composure while thanking long-time coach and confidant Severin Luthi. Rather than using the occasion to run through his records, Federer spent much of the speech remembering the smaller moments that had shaped his relationship with tennis. He recalled being a 13-year-old ball boy at the Swiss Indoors in Basel and watching professional players from close quarters, long before he became one of the sport’s biggest stars.
Federer also remembered picking up his father’s wooden racquet when he was three years old and spoke about the influence of his parents, Robert and Lynette, during his formative years. The Swiss great said his Hall of Fame induction was “one of the greatest honours” of his life, while stressing that recognition had never been the driving force behind his career. “Fame was never the goal,” Federer said, explaining that his ambition had simply been to spend his life doing something he loved alongside people who shared that passion.
Federer retired from professional tennis in September 2022 after playing his final competitive match at the Laver Cup in London, where he partnered long-time rival Rafael Nadal in doubles. His career ended with 20 Grand Slam singles titles, 103 tour-level singles trophies, 1,251 match wins and 310 weeks as world No.1. His 237 consecutive weeks at the top of the rankings remain a record. Federer won Wimbledon eight times, the Australian Open six times, the US Open five times and completed the career Grand Slam by winning the French Open in 2009.
But his Hall of Fame speech was far more about gratitude than numbers. Reflecting on a career that took him from Basel to the summit of world tennis, Federer described himself simply as the “boy from Basel” whose connection with the sport had never disappeared. And although the ceremony represented another formal closing chapter of his playing career, Federer made clear that he did not view the night as an ending. “This is not a goodbye,” he said.