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

Boris Becker showered praise on Roger Federer after the Swiss Maestro was inducted on the International Tennis Hall of Fame. The former German player said Federer is the most important sportsman of all time.

Federer held the numero uno position in the PIF ATP rankings for 310 weeks. 

The Swiss Maestro clinched a total of 103 tour-level titles in his glittering career, which lasted for almost two decades.

Federer won 20 major trophies and earned 28 ATP Masters 1000 crowns.

“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.”

Stefan Edberg, who coached Federer for two seasons, also congratulated the former World No.1.

“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.”

Federer also received congratulatory messages from Billie Jean King and Martina Hingis.

“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 was notified of his election by fellow Hall of Fame members in a call that included Stefan Edberg and Boris Becker. The flamboyant player holds the record for most consecutive weeks at World No. 1 at 237 from February 2004 to August 2008.