Roger Federer Admits Disappointing Wimbledon Defeat to Novak Djokovic Doesn’t ‘Bother’ Him Anymore

Former World No.1 and 20-time Major champion Roger Federer will be inducted into the 2026 Hall of Fame in August.

Roger Federer Admits Disappointing Wimbledon Defeat to Novak Djokovic Doesn’t ‘Bother’ Him Anymore

Novak Djokovic, Roger Federer (Image via X/The Tennis Letter)

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Roger Federer played his career’s last Grand Slam final at Wimbledon back in 2019. The final he couldn’t end in his favor, and en route to his five-set defeat to Novak Djokovic, he lost two match points while serving for the match in the fifth set.

A long time has passed since then, and the disappointing defeat doesn’t haunt the Swiss maestro anymore. During his interview with Simon Graf of Tages Anzeiger following his Tennis Hall of Fame induction, Federer reminisced about his career and recalled the 2019 Wimbledon final defeat.

Funnily enough, that one didn’t bother me for long. I felt: I’d played a great tournament, shame I lost, and on we go. I analyzed it very matter-of-factly for myself. In the following days, I had the occasional flashback. But never again after that.

Djokovic and Federer met two more times since that Wimbledon match, with their last encounter being the 2020 Australian Open semifinal. In their overall head-to-head matchups, the Serb held a 27-23 lead.

While the 38-year-old is still chasing his 25th Grand Slam title and also plans to play the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, Federer hung up his racket at the 2022 Laver Cup after winning 20 Grand Slam titles.

Djokovic ended the 2025 season with two ATP 250 titles, which he won in Geneva and Athens by going past Hubert Hurkacz and Lorenzo Musetti, respectively. In Majors, he played in every semifinal and reached one Masters 1000 final at the Miami Open, which he lost to Jakub Mensik.

Roger Federer on the legacy he has left behind

During that same interview with Tages Anzeiger, Roger Federer talked about the legacy he has left behind. He understands he role he played in popularizing tennis around the world, helping tennis become one of the most recognized sports.

Roger Federer (2)
Roger Federer (Image via X/Dinora RF)

Many have told me that I helped propel the sport into a new era, and that means a lot to me. I hope to have contributed to strengthening tennis globally, for more spectators to attend, for tournaments to grow, for players to earn more, and for tennis stars to be recognized beyond the sport.

Roger Federer said

The 44-year-old was honored with the Stefan Edberg Sportsmanship Award 13 times and also holds the record for winning the ATP Fans’ Favorite award 19 consecutive times (2003 to 21).

Federer, apart from becoming the first man to reach the 20-Major title tally, also grabbed 103 singles titles, becoming the second man after Jimmy Connors to reach the 100-title tally in singles in the Open Era.

When talking about the most famous female athletes in the world, tennis players are often mentioned, a great achievement for our sport, thanks also to pioneers like Billie Jean King. Of course, there are complex political issues in tennis, but overall, I hope to have contributed to the sport I love continuing to thrive.

Roger Federer added

The last title that he lifted was the 2019 Swiss Indoors Open against Alex de Minaur. His career’s last match was the quarterfinal of the 2021 Wimbledon against Hubert Hurkacz.

The induction ceremony for the class of 2026 will be held in Newport, Rhode Island, from August 27 to 29. Apart from Federer, journalist Mary Carillo will also be inducted into the Hall of Fame.

Federer held the No.1 ranking for 310 weeks and holds the record for staying on the top for 237 consecutive weeks. He is one of the only eight men to complete the Career Grand Slam. Federer received the call about his induction from Hall of Fame members Edberg and Boris Becker in a video call.

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