The first man to reach 20 Grand Slam singles titles, Roger Federer, on Wednesday, was elected to the International Tennis Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility. The date for the official induction ceremony has been set for August 2026 in Newport, Rhode Island, the ITHF said. Federer received the news from fellow Hall of Famers at the Swiss Tennis Association, the very place where his journey began. Stefan Edberg and Boris Becker, two of his childhood idols, were among more than 20 Hall of Famers who joined in congratulating him, all while the next generation of champions looked on.
Federer, who clinched 103 tour-level titles during his illustrious career and retired in 2022, was the sole player to earn enough support in the player category for the Hall of Fame’s Class of 2026. According to the procedure, players become eligible five years after retiring from the tour and must secure 75 per cent of the votes from a group that includes tennis media, historians, industry leaders, Hall of Fame members, and fans.
"It's 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... to be recognised in this way by the sport and by my peers is deeply humbling," Federer said in a statement shared by the ITHF.
Federer, who was part of an era of unprecedented greatness with rivals Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic, won his first Slam in 2003 at the All England Club, the venue where six years later he broke his idol Pete Sampras' then-record for a male of 14 major titles. He lifted his last major at the 2018 Australian Open. Overall, he has a record eight Wimbledon titles, six at the Australian Open, five at the U.S. Open and one at the French Open. He is one of the eight men in history with a career Grand Slam.
{{/usCountry}}Federer, who was part of an era of unprecedented greatness with rivals Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic, won his first Slam in 2003 at the All England Club, the venue where six years later he broke his idol Pete Sampras' then-record for a male of 14 major titles. He lifted his last major at the 2018 Australian Open. Overall, he has a record eight Wimbledon titles, six at the Australian Open, five at the U.S. Open and one at the French Open. He is one of the eight men in history with a career Grand Slam.
{{/usCountry}}"Throughout my career, I've always valued the history of tennis and the example set by those who came before me... I look forward to visiting Newport next August to celebrate this special moment with the tennis community," the 44-year-old added.
Nadal eventually surpassed his tally to set a new men's record of 22, which was subsequently broken by Djokovic, who has 24 and is still active at 38.