Tennis News

Becker to Federer on Hall of Fame news: 'You're the most important sportsman of all time'

It was a major milestone when Roger Federer learned of his election into the International Tennis Hall of Fame. Legends he heard from in the immediate aftermath made the moment even more special.

Boris Becker and Stefan Edberg, fellow ATP No. 1 Club members who were among the Swiss’ idols growing up, joined Federer on a video call to share their congratulations.

“You really put tennis on a different map. Whenever you started winning, people that had nothing to do with tennis liked tennis. It was because of you,” Becker said. “So you’re not only one of the best players in tennis of all time, you’re the most important sportsman of all time.”

Edberg shared a special relationship with Federer, serving as his coach for two seasons.

“Congratulations [on] being part of the Tennis Hall of Fame. You really, really deserve it,” Edberg said. “You’ve had an incredible career and 20 Grand Slam titles tells it all.”

Other members of the International Tennis Hall of Fame also shared their well wishes with the 103-time tour-level titlist, including Billie Jean King and Martina Hingis, Federer’s countrywoman.

“You meant so much to so many of us,” King said. “You had such guts, such focus, such intensity. I could see how much it meant to you and just watching you brought out every aspect of your character.”

Hingis said: “Everything always looked so perfect and easy when you were on court. Many people don’t see all the sweat that is behind it, because you kind of make it look so easy.”

Federer will be officially inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame during the Induction Celebration in Newport from 27-29 August 2026.

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Nadal back on court a year after retirement

It may still seem like it was yesterday, but exactly one year ago, on 19 November 2024, Rafael Nadal played his last professional match in the Final 8 of the Davis Cup. In doing so, he brought an end to a career during which he earned 1,000 tour-level match wins, 92 titles —22 of them at majors — and spent 209 weeks at No. 1 in the PIF ATP Rankings.

On Wednesday, the anniversary of his retirement, the Spanish legend picked up his racquet again at the Rafa Nadal Academy in a practice session with Alexandra Eala, the current WTA World No. 50.

“After a year, it felt great to be back on a tennis court. It was great to practise with you, Alex Eala. Next time I’ll be stronger,” Nadal wrote on social media.

Nadal is still heavily involved in his eponymous academy and closely follows the progress of players like the hugely talented 19-year-old Filipina, who rose from No. 143 into the Top 50 this year.

This practice session with the ATP Tour great is a reflection of the connection he maintains with players that train at the Academy, his commitment to excellence, a comprehensive education, and instilling the values that defined his career.

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Wimbledon expansion plan to be challenged in court

Plans were approved for 38 new tennis courts and an 8,000-seat stadium at Wimbledon.

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Hewitt father-son duo drops one game in Sydney Challenger debut

Lleyton Hewitt came out of retirement Wednesday to partner his 16-year-old son Cruz Hewitt in doubles, and the duo made an emphatic start. The father-son team, competing at the NSW Open in Sydney, earned a convincing 6-1, 6-0 victory against 19-year-old Aussies Hayden Jones and Pavle Marinkov.

Now into the quarter-finals at the ATP Challenger Tour event, Lleyton and Cruz will face another Australian team in Calum Puttergill and Dane Sweeny. Lleyton and Cruz’s opening match at the hard-court event came on the 24-year anniversary of when Lleyton first climbed to No. 1 in the PIF ATP Rankings (19 November 2001).

A day they’ll never forget 🇦🇺✨

Lleyton Hewitt comes out of retirement to team up with his son Cruz as they cruise to a 6-1, 6-0 debut win in Sydney!#ATPChallenger | @TennisAustralia pic.twitter.com/e00TkW15PE

— ATP Challenger Tour (@ATPChallenger) November 19, 2025

The pair received a wild card into the Sydney Challenger, where Cruz also competed in the singles main draw and earned a victory, his second career win at that level.

Fans can watch the father-son team Thursday on Challenger TV not before 5 p.m. local time / 1 a.m. ET / 7 a.m. CST. The stream can also be viewed below.

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Italy edge closer to Davis Cup three-peat

Holders Italy overcome Austria to move a step closer to becoming the first nation to win three consecutive Davis Cup titles for 53 years.

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Tennis Australia and players’ association near deal over lawsuit

The Professional Tennis Players’ Association and Tennis Australia say they are likely to reach a settlement in the “near future” in relation to the lawsuit filed against multiple governing bodies.

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Berrettini leads charge as Italy overpowers Austria to reach Davis Cup SFs

Italy booked its fourth consecutive semi-final berth at the Davis Cup Finals on Wednesday, overcoming Austria with the help of a thunderous home crowd and confident performances by Matteo Berrettini and Flavio Cobolli.

The atmosphere inside the SuperTennis Arena in Bologna set the tone early, and two-time defending champions responded with the assurance of seasoned contenders.

Berrettini, the former No. 6 in the PIF ATP Rankings, handed Italy a 1-0 lead with his 6-3, 7-6(4) victory over Jurij Rodionov. The second set was briefly delayed due to lighting issues in the stadium, but the Italian rallied from a 2-5 deficit and saved three consecutive set points on serve at 4-5, swinging the momentum back in his favour before dominating the tie-break.

That flick is OUTRAGEOUS, @MattBerrettini 🤯@DavisCup | #DavisCup | @federtennis pic.twitter.com/oeFNZ58R37

— ATP Tour (@atptour) November 19, 2025

Cobolli then stepped up and delivered a resounding 6-1, 6-3 win against Filip Misolic in just his third Davis Cup rubber, sending the home fans into a frenzy. With its win, Italy extended its winning streak to 12 ties and set a semi-final showdown with Belgium on Friday.

As Italy pursues a fourth Davis Cup crown, Berrettini’s influence remains pivotal. Last year, he did not drop a rubber, compiling a perfect 6-0 record — five wins in singles and one in doubles — on the country’s march toward the title.

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'Tremendous honour' – Federer added to Hall of Fame

Roger Federer will become the first member of the ‘Big Three’ of tennis to be inducted to the International Tennis Hall of Fame next year.

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Roger Federer elected into the International Tennis Hall Of Fame

Roger Federer, who held the No. 1 spot in the PIF ATP Rankings for 310 weeks during his illustrious career, has been elected into the International Hall of Fame in the Class of 2026.

The Swiss legend won 103 tour-level titles, second only to Jimmy Connors (109). Federer lifted 20 major trophies and earned 28 ATP Masters 1000 crowns.

“It’s a tremendous honor to be inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame and to stand alongside so many of the game’s great champions,” Federer said. “Throughout my career, I’ve always valued the history of tennis and the example set by those who came before me. It was very special to receive the news at Swiss Tennis, surrounded by the next generation of players — the place where my own journey first began.

“To be recognized in this way by the sport and by my peers is deeply humbling. I look forward to visiting Newport next August to celebrate this special moment with the tennis community.”

Federer was notified of his election by fellow Hall of Fame members in a call that included Stefan Edberg and Boris Becker, two players who helped inspire the Swiss superstar.

Federer owns the record for most consecutive weeks at World No. 1 at 237 from Feberuary 2004-August 2008. He earned ATP Year-End No. 1 presented by PIF honours five times, received the Stefan Edberg Sportsmanship Award 13 times, and was named ATP Fans’ Favourite for a record 19 consecutive years from 2003-21.

The Class of 2026, which also includes sportscaster and journalist Mary Carillo (Contributor Category), will be officially inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame during the Induction Celebration in Newport, Rhode Island from 27-29 August 2026.

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On This Day: Hewitt makes No. 1 history in 2001

Lleyton Hewitt made history on 19 November 2001 when aged 20 he became the youngest World No. 1, a record which has since been passed by Carlos Alcaraz.

The turn of the millennium was a time when Pete Sampras and Andre Agassi were not at the peak of their powers, while 19-year-old Roger Federer had not yet established himself at the top of the game. There to capitalise was Hewitt.

The Australian made waves in 2000 when he reached his first major semi-final at the US Open but it was his consistency coupled with standout runs in 2001 that led him to become the second Australian after Patrick Rafter to rise to No. 1 in the PIF ATP Rankings.

Hewitt began the season by winning the title on home soil in Sydney before he enjoyed a successful Sunshine Double, advancing to the semi-finals in Indian Wells and Miami. Grass-court titles at Queen’s at ‘s-Hertogenbosch followed but it was not until the American hard-court swing that the Aussie made his charge to No. 1.

Hewitt arrived at the US Open as the World No. 4, trailing World No. 1 Gustavo Kuerten by 1,360 points. However, the Australian delivered in New York, beating Andy Roddick, Yevgeny Kafelnikov and Sampras en route to his first major title.

After closing the gap on the Brazilian Kuerten, Hewitt stormed to his fifth title of the season in Tokyo. Having qualified for the Nitto ATP Finals, the 20-year-old headed into the prestigious year-end event knowing that if he won the trophy, he was assured of ascending to No.1. It was the same, however, for two of his rivals: Kuerten and Agassi.

Hewitt stood unbeaten following a three-set win against Sebastien Grosjean before a convincing victory against Agassi. By virtue of this straight-sets result, the pieces of the puzzle were falling into place sooner than expected as a twist in the race to No. 1 emerged. By beating Rafter in his final round-robin match, Hewitt qualified for the semi-finals and importantly secured No. 1 rights. He beat Juan Carlos Ferrero for the loss of seven games in the semis and then defeated Grosjean again to win the event for the first time.

Hewitt would go on to spend 75 consecutive weeks at No. 1, the third-best of all time after first rising to No. 1 behind Roger Federer (237 weeks), Jimmy Connors (160 weeks). Hewitt was just one of five players (also Novak Djokovic and Jannik Sinner) to spend more than a year at No. 1 as a first-time World No. 1.

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