Roger Federer was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame on Saturday evening at the historic Newport Casino in Rhode Island, according to reports from SRF and 20 Minuten. The 45-year-old Swiss tennis legend, who claimed 20 Grand Slam titles and 103 ATP singles trophies during his career, was joined by American television broadcaster Mary Carillo as a new inductee, as reported by SRF.
Mirka Federer’s Laudatio and the Story Behind the 103 Titles
Breaking a nearly 20-year streak of avoiding public media appearances and interviews—with the sole exception of a brief July 2024 contribution to a documentary on his retirement—Miroslava “Mirka” Federer delivered the official laudatio for her husband, according to 20 Minuten. Standing before an intimate gathering of friends, relatives, and tennis greats on the venue’s horseshoe court, the 48-year-old recalled meeting the future champion at the 2000 Sydney Olympic Games when she was 21 and he was 18, as detailed by SRF and 20 Minutes. At the time, Federer had not yet won a single tournament on the ATP Tour. “When we met, Roger had exactly zero titles. Null,” Mirka Federer told the audience, according to the source material. “Looking back, I was at all 103 that came after.”
Family First and the Decision to Halt Retirements
According to SRF and 20 Minutes, Mirka Federer emphasized that her husband’s character away from the court outweighed his athletic achievements. She recounted a pivotal moment during her first pregnancy with their twin daughters when she assumed her traveling days on the tour were finished. Federer immediately rejected the premise, telling her, “Then I won’t play anymore,” as reported in the source text. Rather than ending his career, the family incorporated four children—Myla, Charlene, Leo, and Lenny—into the travel schedule, turning the professional tour into a collective family adventure complete with strollers and toys, according to SRF.
Newport’s Historic Setting and Federer’s Own Reflection
The induction ceremony unfolded as the sun set behind the nearly 150-year-old Newport Casino, with overflow crowds watching via a large screen in the adjacent stadium, according to SRF. Upon taking the stage after his wife’s speech, Federer wiped away tears, joked about needing sunglasses and tissues, and paid tribute to his wife’s multifaceted support. “Mirka is my wife. That is the biggest understatement ever,” Federer said, noting she served as a trainer, hitting partner, and critic. He also thanked his parents, Lynette and Robert Federer, his sister Diana, and numerous coaches and former peers including Martina Hingis, Stefan Edberg, Severin Lüthi, and Marc Rosset. Reflecting on his journey from a 13-year-old ballboy at the Swiss Indoors in Basel, Federer stated that fame was never his primary motivation. “It’s called Hall of Fame, and Fame means glory. But that was never my goal. I just wanted to have fun, spend my time with something and people I love,” he said, per SRF.