NEWPORT — He raised the level of the tour, created a new way of playing, inspired generations of young players and brought new fans to the sport. Roger Federer, the newest member of the International Tennis Hall of Fame, left a mark on the game in many different ways.
Great legends of tennis reflected on the Swiss player’s legacy. A spoiler: none of them speak specifically of wins, titles or records. All agree that what he built goes far beyond that.
“What a positive role model in every sense for our sport,” Billie Jean King told CLAY in Newport, minutes before the 20-time Grand Slam champion was inducted into the exclusive club.
Mirka Federer, the one who will induct Roger Federer into the International Tennis Hall of Fame. Who else? ❤️ pic.twitter.com/gEZdVRnKJ6
— Clay (@_claymagazine) August 29, 2026
For King, the great impact Federer generated is visible in the leading figures of tennis today.
“Take Carlos Alcaraz. Carlos is born, and the three best players in history played for more than 20 years. Roger had a great rivalry with Nadal, and then Djokovic appeared. Can you imagine growing up watching those three? That is what helps each generation surpass the last: you are watching the greatest. The standard Carlos has seen his entire life is incredibly high,” said the 12-time Grand Slam champion.
Mats Wilander, inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2002, also believes Federer’s greatest contribution was raising the level of competition.
“His biggest impact is that he raised the bar so high that the level suddenly improved remarkably — because he was so dominant in his generation and took it to the next level, which is why today we have Alcaraz and Sinner,” the 1988 world No. 1 told CLAY.
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“The way he was able to get so many non-tennis fans interested in watching him,” said Jim Courier.
“The elegance that he brought to the game, the way he made something so complicated look so simple, and maintaining his dignity and class all the way through all the combat he endured — it was pretty spectacular,” the North American, a two-time Australian Open and Roland Garros champion, told CLAY.
Redefining the game. Imposing a unique style, as effective as it was pleasing to the eye. Marat Safin, one of his great generational rivals, places Federer’s main legacy right there.
“He was the new way of playing tennis — his technique, his vision, the way he approached the game. He created a new generation of young players who grew up on him. The way he could play with the ball, he brought it to a whole different level of understanding the corners. You can see it in the way he was moving, the way he was anticipating, the way he was behaving on court. It’s the best one,” Safin told CLAY.
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“He challenged you to play at 150% to beat his 100%. He’s the most complete player of all time, in my opinion. The margin of error is very small, and if you lose a little bit of concentration, you are gone — and everybody knew it,” the Russian, former world number one and champion in New York (2000) and Melbourne (2005), said in Newport.
In the most technical of analyses, Billie Jean King described a detail that for her makes an important difference.
“He watches the ball better than anybody else, which I love to analyze. The main reason people miss the ball, especially at the pro level, is because they don’t watch the ball all the way to the contact point. When Roger was playing, I said: go watch Roger. He’s versatile, he’s quick, but he watches the ball,” said King, a Hall of Fame member since 1987.
Popular affection is another notable aspect, evident this Saturday in Newport, where never before had so many people gathered for an induction ceremony.
“He’s an all-time great. People adored him, particularly corporate people,” said Billie Jean King. “He just made the game so popular in the world because he’s such a class act,” said Wilander.
