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Well, this will come as no surprise to anyone who has paid any attention to this over the past quarter century: roger federer Rhode Island-based Hall announced Wednesday that he was elected to the International Tennis Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility.
first person to 20 wins Grand Slam Part of an era of unprecedented greatness with singles titles, and rivals rafael nadal And Novak Djokovic – during what Federer called “the golden age for tennis” – was the only candidate to receive sufficient support in the player category for the Hall class of 2026. The Hall does not disclose voting results.
TV announcer and journalist Mary Carrillo, also a player, was selected in the contributor category. The induction ceremony is in August.
“I have always valued the history of tennis and the example set by those who came before me,” Federer said. “It’s extremely humbling to be recognized in this way by the game and my peers.”
He is one of eight men with a career Grand Slam, having won eight championships at Wimbledon, six at the Australian Open, five at the US Open, and one at the French Open.
Federer once said in an interview with the Associated Press, “I didn’t anticipate that I would win so many big titles.” “To be honest, I was hoping early on in my career that maybe I would have one.”
Federer’s first Slam title came at the All England Club in 2003, and he won Wimbledon in 2009, breaking Pete Sampras’ men’s record of 14 major titles by defeating Andy Roddick 16–14 in the fifth set of the final. Federer won his 20th title at the 2018 Australian Open.
“I don’t really feel like I’m playing for records,” Federer once told the AP. “I play this game because I love it.”
His Grand Slam count eventually overtook Nadal, who reached 22 before retiring last year at age 38, and Djokovic, who has 24 and is still active at age 38.
With a superb forehand and serve, an aggressive, all-court style and footwork that made everything look so easy, Federer won 103 tournaments and 1,251 matches in singles, a total surpassed only by Jimmy Connors in the men’s game in the Open era that began in 1968.
Federer completed five years at No. 1 in the ATP rankings, spent a record 237 consecutive weeks and a total of 310 weeks in the top spot, led Switzerland to the 2014 Davis Cup title, and won the doubles gold medal at the 2008 Olympics with Stan Wawrinka.
Federer, an ambassador of the sport who often answers questions in English, French and Swiss German at news conferences, played his last match at Wimbledon in 2021. He was 40 years old at that time.
His retirement was announced the following year; He bid farewell by playing doubles with Nadal in the Laver Cup, set up by Federer’s management company.
Additionally, Federer established himself as a model for young athletes. carlos alcaraz22, current No. 1 with six Slam trophies.
“The poise he shows on the court, off the court – how he treats people, everybody; he’s a really humble guy – everything he does, he does it with poise,” Alcaraz said. “I appreciate that. He took the game to a different level…that’s what I admire the most.”
At the peak of his powers, Federer reached 10 consecutive Grand Slam finals from 2005–07, winning eight. That dominance extended to appearances in 18 of 19 Slam finals; He also put together a streak of 23 semifinals and 36 quarterfinals in major competitions.
Djokovic called the results “which didn’t feel humane”.
According to Hall, Carrillo was the first woman to regularly commentate on tennis broadcasts and was a correspondent for HBO’s “Real Sports.” He won six Emmy Awards and three Peabody Awards and was inducted into the Sports Broadcasting Hall of Fame in 2018.
“I have been privileged to spend my career sharing the stories of this great game,” Carrillo said, “and if I’ve opened a few doors along the way, it will make this day in August even more meaningful.”
The player class on next year’s ballot will include holdovers Juan Martin del Potro and Svetlana Kuznetsova, while Serena Williams and Ash Barty, who played their last matches in 2022, will be eligible for the Hall for the first time.
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Howard Fendrich has been the AP’s tennis writer since 2002. Find his stories here: https://apnews.com/author/howard-fendrich. More AP Tennis: https://apnews.com/hub/tennis