There will be just one player to enter the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 2026: Roger Federer.
The Hall of Fame announced on Wednesday that Federer was the only player voted into the Hall of Fame in this class, somewhat fittingly giving the legend the stage to himself. Mary Carillo was elected to the Hall in the contributor category for her work as a TV commentator and journalist. The induction ceremony will take place over the weekend of Aug. 27-29 at the International Tennis Hall of Fame in Newport, Rhode Island.
“It’s a tremendous honor to be inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame and to stand alongside so many of the game’s great champions,” Federer said in a statement. “Throughout my career, I’ve 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 — the place where my own journey first began. To be recognized in this way by the sport and by my peers is deeply humbling. 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, breaking Pete Sampras’ then-record of 14 back in 2009. Federer dominated on the grass court and hard court during his career, winning eight championships at Wimbledon, six Australian Open titles and five US Open titles, and finally broke through for his lone French Open title on the clay in 2009. He made 10 consecutive Grand Slam finals from 2005 to 2007, winning eight of those in a previously unheard of run of dominance in the majors. He also added an Olympic gold medal in doubles with Stan Wawrinka in 2008.
While his Grand Slam titles record was eventually broken by Rafael Nadal and then Novak Djokovic, his longevity and consistency at the top of the sport were something never seen in tennis before him. Overall, Federer won 103 singles tournaments and 1,251 singles matches, second all-time in the Open era to Jimmy Connors. He was the No. 1 player in the world for a record-setting 237 consecutive weeks (and 310 overall in his career).
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