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Swiss tennis legend Roger Federer has been elected to the 2026 class of the International Tennis Hall of Fame and will be inducted into the hall during a ceremony at Newport, Rhode Island, in August next year.
The Beijing Olympic gold medalist and 20-time Grand Slam winning icon, with 103 ATP Tour-level titles, was selected in his first year of eligibility. His 24-year-old pro career came to an end in 2022, which saw him spend a record 310 weeks at the top of men's singles rankings, with 237 weeks successively, as per Olympics.com. Federer said as per Olympics.com, "It is a tremendous honour to be inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame and to stand alongside so many of the game's 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 the news at Swiss Tennis, surrounded by the next generation of players -- the place where my own journey first began." "To be recognised in this way by the sport and by my peers is deeply humbling. I look forward to visiting Newport next August to celebrate this special moment with the tennis community," he added. At the age of 44, Federer is the headliner of the 2026 class, which also includes broadcaster Mary Carillo as a part of the contributor category. The induction ceremony will take place from August 27-29 at the Hall of Fame site in Newport. Federer's 103 career singles titles are the second most by any player in the Open era, behind Jimmy Connors's 109, while his 20 Grand Slams include eight Wimbledon titles, six Australian Opens, five US Open triumphs and a sole French Open triumph. Besides his doubles gold at the Beijing Olympics, he secured a singles silver in London 2012 Olympics. He also secured the Davis Cup way back in 2014, retiring in 2022 with his final appearance being at Laver Cup in UK, where he played doubles alongside his long-time rival Rafael Nadal. (ANI)
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