The first member of the Big Three is headed to the International Tennis Hall of Fame.
The hall announced Wednesday that Roger Federer will be enshrined in August in ceremonies in Newport, R.I. He learned the news at Swiss Tennis, where he played as a youngster, as he watched more than 20 Hall of Fame members welcome him in a video call.
“You really put tennis on a different map,” retired great Boris Becker told Federer. “Whenever you started winning, people who had nothing to do with tennis liked tennis. It was because of you. So you’re not only one of the best players in tennis of all time, you’re the most important sportsman of all time.”
Sportscaster and journalist Mary Carillo also will be inducted into the Hall of Fame. She was elected in the contributor category for her impact on the game.
Federer, 44, was the first man to win reach 20 singles titles in majors and only one of eight men to record a career Grand Slam. He won 103 total titles, including eight at Wimbledon, six at the Australian Open, five at the U.S. Open and a lone French Open. He was ranked No. 1 in the world for 310 total weeks, including a record 237 consecutive weeks.
He received the Stefan Edberg Sportsmanship Award 13 times.
“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 Hall of Fame news release. “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.”
He retired in 2022. His 20 major titles rank third among men behind his contemporaries, Novak Djokovic (24) and Rafael Nadal (22), fellow Big Three members who also are Hall of Fame-bound.
Carillo, 68, was notified of her election in a video call with Hall of Fame president Patrick McEnroe and inductee John McEnroe. She has joined the brothers on tennis broadcasts for years, but also grew up playing tennis in the same circle with them in New York.
She was inducted into the Sports Broadcasting Hall of Fame in 2018, recognizing her coverage of tennis as well as 16 Olympic Games, six Emmy Awards and three Peabody Awards won for her work as a correspondent on HBO’s “Real Sports.”
“I am deeply honored to be recognized in the company of so many other legends and colleagues of the tennis world,” Carillo said. “I’ve been privileged to spend my career sharing the stories of this magnificent game, and if I’ve opened any doors along the way, it will make this day in August even more meaningful.”
Induction weekend is set for Aug. 27-29. The Hall of Fame includes 270 inductees from 28 countries.
–Field Level Media
