Why Rodger Federer deserves his International Tennis Hall of Fame induction

Image by Todd Trapani via Unsplash

By Louisa Gavin

There is one new addition to the International Tennis Hall of Fame which was announced on Wednesday. Tennis icon Rodger Federer.

The Swiss had nothing short of an incredible career, this accolade highlights everything he achieved.

He became the first man to win 20 Grand Slam titles, 103 ATP level titles, 8 Wimbledon titles. The list could go on.

After the announcement of his selection, Federer said: “It's a tremendous honour to be inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame and to stand alongside many of the games great champions.”

Rodger Federer at Wimbledon 2017 via Getty Images

n terms of the current hall of famers, there are some legends involved: Maria Sharapova, Michael Stich, Andre Agassi, Daphne Akhurst and Boris Becker.

It can be easy to dismiss the great success of Federer when he had some steep competition in the form of Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal. This was an influential era for the sport; such skill was possessed by these players and others.

Despite this, in his first year of eligibility, Federer is the only player to be put forward for the 2026 list of introductions.

Journalist and broadcaster Mary Carillo has been selected for the contributor category.

Rodger Federer lifts the 2018 Australian Open trophy

Federer will be able to take the bragging rights; he is the first of the ‘big three’ to be introduced. No doubt the other two should follow suit in the years to come to signify the great success golden years of tennis.

This is to be expected, as the 44-year-old held his sport as world number one for a record breaking 237 consecutive weeks.

Federer added: “Throughout my career, I've always valued the history of tennis and the examples set by those who came before me.”

The induction ceremony will take place on August 27th – 29th 2026 in Newport, Rhode Island.