Roger Federer was moved to tears as he was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame after an emotional introduction from his wife Mirka.
The Swiss superstar became eligible for the honour this year, four years after his retirement, with his 20 men’s Grand Slam titles unmatched by all but his greatest rivals Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic.
During his playing career, the 45-year-old often struck an emotional figure on the court, but as he was formally written into the annals of tennis history in Rhode Island, Federer was at times unable to speak as the tears flowed.
Mirka, who first met her husband during the 2000 Sydney Olympics when she was a talented junior star herself, was chosen by Federer to introduce him to the stage in Newport, and opened her speech by joking that she had been the ‘older woman’ at 21 years old to his 18.
‘When we met, he had exactly zero ATP titles. Zero,’ she said. ‘Looking back, I suppose I was there for all 103 that followed. We shared quite the journey.’
Although Mirka was a constant presence on the tour and witness to the titanic effort her husband put into becoming one of the greatest of all time, she added that ‘tennis was never what impressed me the most.’
Roger Federer was in floods of tears after his wife’s speech at his Hall of Fame induction
Federer’s wife Mirka introduced him to the stage as he was officially inducted in Newport, RI
‘The man behind it all is even more remarkable,’ she continued. ‘He’s the most devoted father that our four children could ever ask for.
‘When I found out we were expecting twins for the first time, I told Roger that my traveling days were probably over. Without missing a beat, he said, “I won’t play anymore”. He wasn’t being remanded. He meant it. That’s who Roger is. His family comes first.
‘Fortunately, we found another solution, and that solution involved babies, strollers, toys, books, and eventually two sets of twins traveling all over the world with us. The tennis tour has always been our home. Our children Myla, Charlene, Leo, and Lenny know him as Papa. The Papa who read bedtime stories, played games with them, who ran their bath, who made them laugh, no matter how busy he was. Whether he won or lost, he always made time for them.
‘I know him always as the kind husband, funny, thoughtful, and endlessly supportive. His parents know him as a loving son. His sister knows him as a wonderful brother. And his friends know him as someone who always has time for them, no matter how busy his life becomes.’
There was barely a dry eye in the house – with Federer’s parents both left in tears – as he stepped onto the stage for his own address.
But Federer was the most overcome as he kissed his wife and accepted the trophy commemorating his induction.
The eight-time Wimbledon champion broke down at a number of different points in his speech, including paying tribute to his mentor, six-time Grand Slam champion Stefan Edberg, and his parents Robert and Lynette.
‘It’s not the first (time),’ he joked as he attempted to pull himself together after calling Edberg his ‘childhood hero’. ‘These are happy tears’.
Federer was joined by his kids at the glamorous event in Rhode Island before the US Open
Federer delivered a speech of his own but struggled to fight back tears and deliver his words
The tears flowed as Federer paid tribute to his longest-serving coach Severin Luthi, saying that he ‘kept (him) motivated when (he) needed motivating, and protected (him) when (he) needed protecting.’
‘We’ll get through this,’ he said as the crowd attempting to cheer him on after he broke off. ‘Promise. Until the sun rises!’
As tears streamed down his face while paying tribute to how Martina Navratilova had inspired Mirka to start playing tennis, Federer joked that he needed ‘tissues and sunglasses.’
‘I need everything to protect me,’ before saying: ‘Oh God. Oh my God. I’m going to do the Mirka bit. This is such a mess.’
‘As you know, Mirka is my wife, which is the greatest understatement I can make,’ he began. ‘She’s also been my coach, my hitting partner before matches, and my reality check, also my stylist. I definitely needed one at the time.
‘Mirka is the person who showed me how to get more focused about tennis and take joy in everything else. A wonderful mother to our four kids. She and I grab each other’s hands and we run through walls. So she’s all of these things, and that’s my Hall of Fame.’
When able to control his sobbing, the living legend interspersed his learnings from his storied career with witty quips, including the note that the over ‘5,000 headbands’ he had spotted during his career were ‘more than Bjorn Borg and John McEnroe combined’.
But most memorable was his message to players on the tour and future stars, where he encouraged them give back to communities by ‘sharing their passion’, and pushing the game to new heights.
‘We all leave the court eventually, but the sport keeps evolving, and as the pace of professional tennis speeds up, as the sport becomes even more global, I so hope it will keep some of that amateur spirit, keep the camaraderie among the players,’ he said.
‘I hope the players will stay young at heart and stay true to their authentic selves, and always remember: never stop asking questions or taking risks, do things with the game we’ve never seen before. Keep pushing this sport we love to the next level, and keep getting better, better, and better.’
