Cemented in history: Roger Federer's incredible legacy honoured by being elected into International Tennis Hall of Fame

To the shock of absolutely nobody, Roger Federer has been elected to the Internation Tennis Hall of Fame in the first year of being eligible for this distinguished honour.

The Swiss star has won 20 Grand Slam titles and won over 100 ATP titles in a decorated career at the top of tennis. He inspired many with his calm and composed demeanour and his class and elegance on the court. His legacy has not gone unnoticed, with him becoming a permanent figure in tennis folklore.

"I´ve always valued the history of tennis and the example set by those who came before me. To be recognised in this way by the sport and by my peers is deeply humbling," Federer said. The induction ceremony will be in August.

The ultimate honour of being inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame seems like a logical step for a player of Federer's calibre. It was obvious from early on what he would complete in the sport, but few thought it would be what he would end up with.

He burst onto the main stage in 2003 after winning the Wimbledon title. It would be the first of five successive triumphs on the spin, and a record eight times in total. This has got him the tag as one of the greatest stars to play on grass. In between 2003-2009, he reached the final at SW19 every occasion, only losing out in 2008 to his arch-rival Rafael Nadal in one of the greatest Grand Slam finals ever played.

He also built an incredible legacy on hardcourt. He won six Australian Open titles and five at the US Open, all in a row form 2004-2009. He completed the career slam in 2009 after finally getting his hands on the title at Roland Garros. He had lost three finals on the bounce against a rampant Nadal. His dominance was there for everyone to see. In between 2006-2009, he failed to make a final of a Grand Slam once, coming in the 2008 Australian Open where he was defeated by an upcoming Novak Djokovic. He is the current record holder for most ATP Finals appearances with 17. In these events he has won a staggering six titles while making another four finals. From 2002 he failed to qualify just twice - 2016 and 2021, and was unable to make it out of the group on one occasion. He helped Switzerland win their first and only to date Davis Cup title in 2014 in a historic achievement for his country. One of the only things which he missed out on was an Olympic gold medal. The closest he came was in London 2012, where Andy Murray got the better of him at SW19.

All of these titles and ranking points saw him stick like glue to that number one ranking. His first stint at the top saw him stay there from 2nd February 2004 to 17th August 2008. That is a record-breaking 237 weeks as number one, over four years as the greatest. He had stints as world number one between 2009-10, 2012 and 2018 when he was trading it with Nadal. He finished the year in as number one on five separate occasions and was at the top for 310 weeks in total. Only Novak Djokovic (428) can boast more.

Another big factor in his legacy in the sport was the rivalry he had with Nadal and Djokovic, labelled the 'Big Three,' They consistently met in major finals together and enjoyed some incredible battles. The debate rages on between fans as who is the best with all having different characteristics. Federer was able to stand up and fend them off on a consistent basis, keeping him at the top.