Roger Federer elected to International Tennis Hall of Fame - ESPN

Well, this will come as no surprise to anyone who's paid any attention over the past quarter-century: Roger Federer was elected to the International Tennis Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility, the Rhode Island-based Hall announced Wednesday.

The first man to win 20 Grand Slam singles titles, and part of an era of unprecedented greatness with rivals Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic — during what Federer termed «a golden time for tennis» — he was the only candidate to receive enough support in the player category for the Hall's class of 2026. The Hall does not reveal voting results.

TV announcer and journalist Mary Carillo, who also was a player, was elected in the contributor category. The induction ceremony is in August.

«I've always valued the history of tennis and the example set by those who came before me,» Federer said. «To be recognized in this way by the sport and by my peers is deeply humbling.»

He is one of eight men with a career Grand Slam, collecting eight championships at Wimbledon, six at the Australian Open, five at the US Open and one at the French Open.

«I didn't predict I was going to have this many majors,» Federer once said in an interview with The Associated Press. «I was hoping to maybe have one, to be quite honest, at the very beginning of my career.»

Federer's first Slam title came at the All England Club in 2003, and he broke Pete Sampras' then-record for a male of 14 major titles by winning Wimbledon in 2009, defeating Andy Roddick 16-14 in the fifth set of the final. Federer claimed his 20th at the 2018 Australian Open.

«I don't really feel like I'm playing for the records,» Federer once told the AP. «I play this game because I love it.»

His Grand Slam count eventually was surpassed by