A Love Letter to Tennis: Roger Federer’s Tearful Tribute at International Hall of Fame

When Roger Federer bowed out of the sport back in 2022, the Swiss penned an emotional note, which ended with the words, “Finally, to the game of tennis: I love you and will never leave you.” That love was well alive when the Swiss went up the stage to be formally inducted into the Tennis Hall of Fame in 2026. The Swiss’s emotional speech was a real tearjerker, recounting his journey in the sport, which began as a ball boy and ended as a player with 103 titles.

Roger Federer Made His Entry Into Tennis as a Ball Boy in Basel

Now part of tennis folklore, Federer made his start in the sport as a ball boy at his home tournament in Basel. Back in 1992 and 1993, a 13-year-old Federer, already in love with the sport, could not miss the chance to watch some of his favorite players up close on the court. Watching Stefan Edberg in the 1993 final left a strong impression on the young Swiss, who later in his career hired the Swede as a coach. Forgetting his beginnings is something that Federer is never associated for, as the Swiss had a special mention for ballkids in his speech.

“I’m 13 years old and it’s a Swiss Indoors. I’m not competing. I’m a ball boy. I’m standing against the back wall, hands behind me, eyes on the ball. I’ll never forget how the game looked from there and how it felt, the thrill of standing so close to the players, feeding them the ball, handing them the towel, seeing them sweat, watching them fight it out, figure it out,” said Federer in his induction speech. “The adversity, the intensity. I remember the next morning my legs were gone, standing all day. It’s a lot of work. So I really want to thank every ball kid who ever stood through my matches, or all our matches for that matter, for hours on end. I see you. I thank you.”

Beginning as a ball boy in Basel was always close to Federer’s heart, and he excelled on court at his home event as well, winning the title 10 times. However, as with everything in his career, it was more than his on-court accomplishments, as the Swiss always had a special place for the ballkids, treating them to a pizza party every year he reached the final, regardless of the result.

As for inspiration, there was no shortage of greats to motivate Federer to pick up the sport. The Swiss’s adulation for Pete Sampras is well known, as Federer got his first break in his career after ending the American’s Wimbledon reign in 2001. He also did not forget to mention both Martina Hingis and Martina Navratilova in his speech. While Navratilova inspired his wife, Mirka, to take up the sport, Hingis’s rise as a Swiss star at 16 gave Federer the confidence to succeed on the Tour.

“And of course, there’s Pete Sampras, the best serve ever. What a privilege to share the court. Your turn now. Oh, okay. And two, not one but two. Martina’s first Martina Hingis”, said Federer. “Swiss like me, world number one by the age of 16. Unlike me and Martina Navratilova, you know her for winning 59 majors, but in our house, she’s famous for inspiring Mirka to play tennis.”

It was a very emotional tribute from Federer to his idols, as the Swiss choked up while mentioning the former legends, especially Sampras.

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