Kathmandu— Swiss tennis icon Roger Federer was moved to tears several times during his induction ceremony into the International Tennis Hall of Fame on Saturday. The 45-year-old, who holds a record 20 Grand Slam singles titles and has spent an unprecedented 237 consecutive weeks as world No. 1, choked up while addressing the crowd at Newport’s grass horseshoe court.

Emotional Speech

Federer's nearly 30-minute speech was filled with emotional moments. He began by jokingly praising his wife Mirka for her introduction, but soon became overwhelmed when discussing his childhood hero Stefan Edberg and longtime coach Severin Luthi. Federer also struggled to hold back tears while thanking Mirka for supporting him throughout his career.

'I need tissues and sunglasses, everything to protect me right now,' he told the crowd, fighting back more tears.

Hall of Fame Induction

Federer was inducted alongside Mary Carillo, a broadcaster and former player. Billie Jean King presented Carillo as she was honored for her contributions to tennis broadcasting. Federer's induction marked his entry into the Hall’s first red-carpet show, which began about 90 minutes before the ceremony.

'I’m thrilled to have made the journey here,' Federer said. 'It’s amazing to see yourself in a place like this. To immerse yourself in the history of the sport means a lot to me.'

(With inputs from AP)

Originally published on abcnews.com.np.