Roger Federer, the tennis icon, officially leads the list of nominees for the International Tennis Hall of Fame’s Class of 2026, marking a widely anticipated step toward enshrinement for the Swiss maestro.
The nomination comes as Federer meets the eligibility criteria following his retirement from professional competition.
The 20-time Grand Slam singles champion is the foremost name in the Player Category of the ballot, a formality for a career that redefined modern tennis with 103 singles titles and a record 237 consecutive weeks at World No. 1. His nomination was possible after his retirement announcement in 2022, which followed his final match at Wimbledon in 2021.
Federer is joined in the Player Category by other distinguished nominees: Juan Martin del Potro and Svetlana Kuznetsova.
The Contributor Category nominees for the Class of 2026 are TV announcer Mary Carillo and former tennis administrator Marshall Happer.
The inductees, chosen from the final ballot, are scheduled to be officially announced in November.
In discussing the so-called “Big Three” of men’s tennis in a 2021 interview with The Associated Press, Federer said:
“I always say it’s wonderful to be part of that selective group.”
“How can you compare? What’s better? To win when you’re old or when you’re young? I have no idea, you know. Is it better to win on clay or grass? Don’t know. Is it better to have super dominant years or come back from injury? I don’t know. It really is impossible to grasp.?
