Top quotes from Roger Federer’s commencement speech at the 2024 Dartmouth graduation ceremony

Though it may come as a surprise, yes, Roger Federer did in fact attend Dartmouth College in Hanover, New Hampshire. Of course, that’s not what the former world No. 1 is known for. With that said, the commencement speech that he gave at his alma mater had nothing to do with tennis - the sport he conquered - but rather the thing that links us all, humanity.

What were the highlights of Roger Federer’s Dartmouth speech?

When you consider the fact that the members of the 2024 class of Dartmouth would have begun their journey during the covid-19 pandemic, it was always going to be a unique group. To that end, it should come as no surprise that a unique individual was chosen to deliver the class’s commencement speech, an individual who has shown perseverance in the face of challenges, extraordinary drive, and of course, success. You can see the full speech below but do be warned, as the caption says, it’s 25 minutes long.

That brings us to Roger Federer. Indeed, the winner of 20 Grand Slams and more importantly a Dartmouth alumnus, was tasked with delivering the commencement speech to a class that saw degrees conferred to more than 1,150 undergraduates from 49 states, Puerto Rico, Washington, D.C., and 42 other countries, as well as 902 graduate or professional degrees. In response, Federer gave three essential lessons from his career in tennis. “‘Effortless’ is a myth. People would say my play was effortless,” Federer said, referencing the common opinion that his style seemed to require no effort. Linking his success to hard work, the Swiss star highlighted his pride in overcoming difficult challenges. “Because they prove that you can win not just when you are at your best, but especially when you aren’t. Most of the time it’s not about having a gift. It’s about having grit.”

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From there the now-retired legend built on the point, explaining that perfection does not exist. “In the 1,526 singles matches I played in my career, I won almost 80% of those matches,” an idea made more poignant by the fact that he only won 54% of the points he played in those matches.”When you’re playing a point, it is the most important thing in the world,” he said. “But the truth is, whatever game you play in life, sometimes you’re going to lose. A point, a match, a season, a job: it’s a roller coaster, with many ups and downs.”

Lastly, the winner of six Australian Open tournaments touched on the obvious idea that is often missed in high-level sports in this case tennis i.e., life is much bigger than what you play. “Even when I was in the top five, it was important to me to have a rewarding life, full of travel, culture, friendships, and especially family,” he said. With that, the 42-year-old ended his speech with a simple parting statement, one that encapsulated everything he had said up to that point: “It’s been an honor and it’s been humbling.”