By Richard Pagliaro | Friday, November 21, 2025
Photo credit: Rob Newell/CameraSport
At the peak of his powers, Roger Federer could transform a tennis match into ballet with a ball.
One of tennis’ top shotmakers, Federer could make the ball dance.
“I was just trying to play the ball and not the opponent,” Federer said after out-dueling rival Rafael Nadal 6-4, 3-6, 6-1, 3-6, 6-3 in the 2017 Australian Open final to capture his 18th Grand Slam title.
This week, the International Tennis Hall of Fame announced Federer will headline the Hall of Fame’s Class of 2026 alongside former French Open mixed doubles champion and award-winning broadcaster Mary Carillo.
Looking ahead to his Hall of Fame induction, Federer took time to reflect on his glorious career in a wide-ranging interview with Simon Graf of Tages Anzeiger.
In the interview, Federer shared the toughest time of his career was the very start: From ages 18 to about 21 when he was refining his game and facing the formidable pressures of facing his tennis heroes on court and in the locker room. In those days, Federer felt stress like slam dancers banging into his body.
“The most difficult thing for me was the transition from juniors to the pros,” Federer told Simon Graf of Tages Anzeiger. “At first it was super cool. Suddenly I was in the locker room with Pete Sampras, Andre Agassi, Tim Henman, Yevgeny Kafelnikov, Carlos Moya and others. And I thought: This is the best!
“But then everything got so serious. One guy wraps the grip tape around his racket with a grim expression, and you think: Oh God, he’s intense! Another walks past you without giving you a glance. And you think: He wants to win at all costs! And yet: Is it really that important?”
The 1998 Wimbledon boys’ junior champion made his pro career shortly before his 17th birthday in July of 1998. It would take Federer nearly three years to capture his maiden ATP singles crown. Before he did, Federer partnered the former No. 1 he formerly served as a ball boy for, Martina Hingis, to capture the 2001 Hopman Cup championship for Switzerland.
“Martina Hingis definitely helped me to become the player I am today,” Federer once said. Months after that Hopman Cup championship, Federer finally broke through capturing his first title at the 2001 Milan Indoors.
“That phase was tough for me,” Federer said of his early days on the ATP Tour. “When you travel a lot, lose often, and are as emotionally charged as I was, you think: I didn’t read the fine print in the tennis contract. It’s not all fun and games. This seriousness got to me. The years from 18 to 20 or 21 were hard for me.”
In retrospect, Federer said the support of wife Mirka, whom he began dating at the 2000 Sydney Olympic Games when both were members of Team Switzerland, for providing perspective and keeping him grounded through the early days of struggle.
“I had good perspective then, and I had Mirka and my team around me,” Federer said. “We always had fun. When things got a bit too serious, we fooled around even more than usual. And then it was okay again.”
