Tennis great Roger Federer to deliver Dartmouth’s commencement address

CONCORD, N.H. (AP) — Swiss tennis legend Roger Federer will deliver the commencement address at Dartmouth College in June, the Ivy League school said Thursday.

Federer will address graduates and receive an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degree at the June 9 ceremony in Hanover.

Dartmouth President Sian Leah Beilock, a Federer fan, said she was thrilled to welcome him to campus.

“Roger Federer is undeniably one the greatest athletes of all time, but it’s the evident joy that he always found on the court that stays with me, and that I think will resonate most with the Class of 2024,” she said in a statement.

Federer retired in 2022 at age 41 after a superlative career that spanned nearly a quarter-century and included 20 Grand Slam titles and a statesman’s role. In 2003, he created a foundation that has since invested more than $96 million in early education programs serving millions of children living in poverty in Switzerland and six African countries.

An announcement video Beilock and Federer recorded earlier this month plays up the tennis star’s preference for playing on grass. After Beilock frets about snow and mud covering the Dartmouth Green, Federer says, “I am so excited and honored to be your Commencement speaker this year, and, of course, I hope I see you on the Big Green in June.”