Federer’s curious reflection after entering the Hall of Fame: “It was easier than I thought”

As expected as soon as he received the nomination last October, the Swiss Roger Federer will finally be induced in the International Tennis Hall of Fame (ITHF) in the class 2026 as a player, after receiving the affirmative vote of at least 75% of the combined total between the official group and that of the fans.

“It is a tremendous honor to be inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame alongside so many great champions.. Throughout my career I always valued the history of tennis and the example set by those who came before me. It was very special to receive the news at Swiss Tennis, surrounded by the next generation of players in the place where my journey began. Being recognized in this way by the sport and my colleagues is deeply moving,” announced ‘His Majesty’, who shared a candidacy with the Argentine Juan Martín del Potro and the Russian Svetlana Kuznetsova.

Already speaking to Tages Anzeiger, the former world number 1 would review his award-winning career: “It was probably easier than I thought. I would never have imagined that I would enter the Tennis Hall of Fame or win Wimbledon, and so. I was just hoping to turn pro.. I wished it wasn’t a mistake that I had left school at 4 pm. But then everything was a little easier and faster than I thought. Although, of course, I also had my struggles and setbacks.”

“I wouldn’t do anything different. I would like to experience it all againwith all the ups and downs. All of those experiences made me the person I am. I never pretended to be someone else. Except on the court, of course, where I put on a poker face to protect myself from the opponent. But then I always tried to stay authentic, whether in success or failure. It was a wonderful trip. Sometimes it was hard, other times exciting. I experienced the full range of emotions,” commented the 20-time Grand Slam champion.

Regarding his beginnings, the one born in Basel, who retired in September 2022, within the framework of the Laver Cup, would remember his complicated beginnings with some legends of white sport: “The most difficult thing for me was the transition from junior to professional. At first it was super cool. Suddenly I was in the locker room with Pete Sampras, Andre Agassi, Tim Henman, Yevgney Kafelnikov, Carlos Moya and others. And I thought: ‘this is the best’. but after everything became very serious. That stage was hard for me.”

“When you travel a lot, you lose often and you’re emotionally charged like I was, you think, ‘I didn’t read the fine print in the tennis contract‘. It’s not all fun and games. That seriousness affected me. The years from 18 to 20 or 21 were hard for me. There were many crossroads where I asked myself: which direction are you going? What coach do you work with? What comes next?” confessed the talented Swiss, who would win 103 trophies on the men’s circuit.

Finally, Federer pointed out about his heritage at the highest level: “Many told me that I helped lead the sport into a new era. That means a lot to me. I hope I have been able to help strengthen tennis globally: that more spectators come, that the tournaments grow and the players win more. And that tennis stars are recognized beyond sport. But overall I hope I have played my part in ensuring the sport I love continues to flourish.”