Roger Federer will be the only player to be inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 2026.
The Hall of Fame announced Wednesday that Federer is the only player in his class to be inducted, giving himself a platform befitting a legend. Mary Carrillo was elected to the Hall in the contributor category for her work as a television commentator and journalist. The Hall of Fame induction ceremony will be held the weekend of August 27-29 at the International Tennis Hall of Fame in Newport, Rhode Island.
“It is a great honor to be inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame and to be able to stand alongside so many great champions,” Federer said in a statement. “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 this news at Swiss Tennis, where my own journey first began, surrounded by the next generation of players. It is a very humbling feeling to be recognized by the sport and my peers in this way. I look forward to visiting Newport next August to celebrate this special moment with the tennis community.”
Federer became the first male tennis player to win 20 Grand Slam singles titles in 2009, breaking Pete Sampras’ previous record of 14. Federer has dominated on grass and hard courts throughout his career, winning eight Wimbledon titles, six Australian Open titles, five US Open titles, and finally broke through to his only French Open title on clay in 2009. He reached the Grand Slam final for 10 consecutive years starting in 2009. From 2005 to 2007, he had an unprecedented run in the majors, winning eight of them. In 2008, he also won an Olympic gold medal in doubles with Stan Wawrinka.
Although his Grand Slam title record was eventually broken by Rafael Nadal and then Novak Djokovic, his longevity and consistency at the top of the sport was unlike anything previously seen in tennis. Overall, Federer won 103 singles tournaments and 1,251 singles matches, ranking him second all-time in the Open Era behind Jimmy Connors. He was the No. 1 player in the world for a record 237 consecutive weeks (310 weeks in his entire career).
