The International Tennis Hall of Fame announced Wednesday that Roger Federer has been elected to his first year of eligibility. Although the HOF has not released the voting results, it should come as no surprise to anyone that Federer was able to achieve the required number of votes (at least 75%) in the first year of voting.
Federer was the first male player to win 20 Grand Slams, a feat he achieved at a time when players like Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal were also on the tour.
“I never expected to play in so many major tournaments,” Federer once told the Associated Press. “Honestly, at the beginning of my career, I probably wanted to have it.”
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In 2003, Federer won his first Grand Slam title at Wimbledon at the age of 21. At Wimbledon in 2009, Federer defeated Andy Roddick to win his 15th major title, surpassing Pete Sampras’ previous record of 14. The 20th place was won at the 2018 Australian Open, when Federer defeated Marin Cilic in the final in five sets.
Players can consider candidacy after five years off the tour. The voting group includes tennis media, historians, Hall members, and industry leaders.
“I have always valued the history of tennis and the example set by those who came before me,” Federer explained. “It is very humbling to be recognized in this way by the sports community and my colleagues.”
Federer spent a total of 310 weeks at No. 1 in the ATP Rankings during his career, 237 of which were consecutive. Federer led Switzerland to the Davis Cup championship in 2014 and won the gold medal in doubles with Stan Wawrinka at the 2008 Beijing Olympics.
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Serena Williams will be on the ballot for the first time next year for induction into the 2027 HOF class.
