Roger Federer reflects on Olympic experiences as he enters International Tennis Hall of Fame

Within Roger Federer's tennis career, the Olympics ended up being one of his most heart-tugging journeys. Federer, on the eve of being inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in Newport, Rhode Island, reflected on his four Games experiences on Friday. It began at Sydney 2000, when a 19-year-old Federer had what he has called the "most unbelievable Olympics" of his four overall appearances. He met fellow Swiss Olympic tennis player Mirka Vavrinec in Sydney, fell in love with her and kissed her on the final day of those Games. They've been married for 17 years and have twin daughters, now 17, and twin sons, now 12. "That was double gold," Federer said with a smile Friday. Federer played three more Olympics in Athens in 2004, Beijing in 2008 and London in 2012. He won doubles gold with Stan Wawrinka in 2008 and one singles medal — silver — with a defeat to Andy Murray in 2012. "I've heard sometimes, 'He didn't win the Olympic gold in singles,'" Federer said. "I never thought that was a missing piece in my life, because when you win Olympic gold for your country, I don't think it matters if it's — in our sport — in singles, doubles or mixed. I'm not trying to put it at the same level, or at a different level, than what others have achieved. But for me, it felt super complete to have won the Olympic gold (with Wawrinka), and I feel like I have not missed out." If anything, Federer laments placing fourth in singles in 2000, even though he wasn't one of the top 16 seeds and had yet to make it past the fourth round of a Grand Slam. Had Federer won either of his last two matches in Sydney, he would earned a medal. He was beaten by German Tommy Haas in the semifinals and Frenchman Arnaud Di Pasquale in the bronze-medal match. In 2015, Federer said it was "probably the most disappointed I’ve ever been in my tennis life." He added Friday, "I don't want to say I let my country down, but it would have been nice to win a medal for Switzerland there, and it would have been a surprise medal completely." Federer played his final Olympic match at age 30 — more than 12 years before he retired in 2022. He missed the 2016 Rio Games — where he was due to play mixed doubles with Switzerland's best female player ever, Martina Hingis — and the 2020 Tokyo Games due to knee injuries. "It's a pity I couldn't play any more Olympics after London," he said. "As lucky as I got to be able to play at the Sydney Olympics at just around 18 years old, I got unlucky in the last two in Rio and Tokyo. There were plans, and I was ready to go, and all that stuff. So that's a bit of a shame." Federer also carried the Swiss flag at the Opening Ceremony in 2004 (when Czech Tomas Berdych later beat him in the second round) and 2008 (American James Blake defeated him in the quarterfinals). "At the end of the day, I see the Olympics more representing my country than actually for my own trophy case," Federer said. "So that's why I feel like I achieved the gold medal with Stan, it's actually cool to have done it in doubles. I find it was such a surprise for me." Two-time Olympic champion Rafael Nadal’s final Olympic wave Two-time Olympic champion Rafael Nadal gave his final wave on the Olympic tennis courts on Wednesday, after he and partner Carlos Alcaraz lost in their quarterfinals clash against America.