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.

Roger Federer Thanked His Family and Coaches for His Amazing Career

While Federer might have been all alone when he amazed fans and pundits with his strokeplay, the Swiss had a whole team working behind the scenes to ensure the end product on the court was unaffected. The 20-time Major champion could not have become so if he did not have the support of his wife, parents, and his coaches, something he did not fail to mention in his speech.

Even though both of Federer’s parents had only a mild interest in tennis, they supported their son’s career without reservation. While his mother instilled the values of deep family ties and humility, his father gave a teenage Federer a reality check whenever he seemed to be struggling with his temper. The Swiss thanked both of them, with love and affection being apparent in his voice.

“My mom had a full time job, but she found time to work the badge office for the Swiss Indoors and probably did some badges for you guys. So she was also the one who organized my lessons, to sign me up for matches and supported my coaches. Mom made it happen,” said Federer. “Thank you Mom.”

Federer had a twinkle in his eye when he cheekily paid tribute to his father, attributing his legendary aggressive game to the latter.

“What I remember was my dad’s total ban on moon balls. When I played him, he had the old continental grip that made it—that made me for sure more and more aggressive tennis player. Thanks, Dad,” added Federer. “Robbie Federer, the real RF.”

If there’s one person who can be credited with Federer’s on-court success, then it’s his wife, Mirka. On a journey that began in 2000, when they met in Sydney, the couple has balanced their personal and professional lives, which has played a massive part in extending Federer’s Tour career.

“As you know, Mirka’s my wife—duh—which is the greatest understatement I can make because she’s also been my coach, my hitting partner before matches…and my reality check,” said a tearful Federer. “Also my stylist. A wonderful mother to our four kids who makes the impossible happen in all our lives. She and I grab each other’s hands and we run through walls. Thank you.”

Lastly, in a career that spanned over two decades, it’s hard to say where Federer would have landed without the support of his coaches over time. Given the stage of his career, the role of his coaches varied. For a temperamental teenager, Federer needed the calm heads of Peter Lundgren and Peter Carter at the beginning of his career to help him navigate the Tour.

“I’m talking about the phenomenal Peter Carter. Super cool Peter Lundgren, two men who unfortunately are no longer with us, who not only helped my game but helped me grow up fast on the road. I love you guys”, said Federer. “Thank you.”

By the time he was an established name on the Tour, Federer needed coaches with the tactical expertise and experience to hone his skills. This is where the veteran trio of Tony Roche, Paul Annacone, and Jose Higueras came into the picture, improving the Swiss’s game in their own unique way. Federer was also not shy about having the opportunity to work with his idol, Stefan Edberg, whom he took on in his team to help him get past the hurdles of Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal.

“Also, legendary coaches Jose Higueras, Paul Annacone and Tony Roche,”added Federer in his speech”. “I loved my time with them and I learned so much from their stories and expertise, and I was lucky to have my childhood hero, Stefan Edberg.”

Lastly but not least, Federer always had Severin Luthi to fall back on, with the latter being a mainstay of the Swiss player’s team for almost eighteen years. Federer was also not averse to hiring his peers as coaches, players who could give candid feedback on his game, having played against him. The hiring of Ivan Ljubicic shows Federer’s openness to trying new things.

“Ivan Ljubicic, who had a tremendous impact working with me for the last six years in the twilight of my career. It’s getting tough now. I thought it was going to be easy,” said Federer. “This one and Severin, my longest tenured coach. 18 long years together. Severin’s role in my life and my career is even bigger than that number. He kept me motivated when I needed motivating, and he protected me when I needed protecting.”

Given Federer’s success, one could safely say that the Swiss only made good decisions when it came to choosing his inner circle.

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