A Hall of Fame Ring for Hana Mandlikova
In recognition of her extraordinary career which included four major singles titles and one major doubles title, Czech tennis great Hana Mandlikova received the highest honor in the sport of tennis in 1994 - induction into the International Tennis Hall of Fame.
In a special ceremony on Stadium Court at the Miami Open presented by Itau, this honor was celebrated once again when Mandlikova was presented with her official Hall of Fame ring. The Hall of Fame rings are one-of-a-kind pieces that are being presented to Hall of Famers at tennis events around the world to commemorate their recognition as being among the sport’s greatest champions.
"I'd like to say thank you to the Hall of Fame for presenting me this ring. Being a Hall of Famer is the greatest honor you can receive and I'm very grateful," remarked Mandlikova.
Mandlikova had a career high singles ranking of world No. 3, and was ranked in the world top 50 for 12 consecutive seasons (1978–89), including seven years in the top 10. She led Czechoslovakia to three consecutive Fed Cup titles from 1983–1985, as well as the title in 1988. Mandlikova was a two-time champion at the Australian Open (1980 & 1987), and she also won singles titles at the French Open (1981) and the US Open (1985). In 1989, she partnered with Martina Navratilova to win the US Open women’s doubles title.
She is one of 13 women during the open era to have reached the singles final of all four Grand Slam tournaments. Mandlikova is one of six women who have won Grand Slam singles titles on clay, grass, and hard courts, with the others being Hall of Famers Steffi Graf, Martina Navratilova, and Chris Evert, as well as Serena Williams and Maria Sharapova.
Mandlikova retired from the professional tennis tour in 1990, at the relatively early age of 28, having won 27 singles titles and 19 doubles titles. Since retiring from the WTA, Mandlikova has stayed involved in the sport through coaching. She coached Hall of Famer Jana Novotná for 9 years (1990–99), during which time Novotná won Wimbledon. .
Mandlikova, who is now a resident of South Florida, was joined by friends and family in Miami for the special celebration. She is the mother of twins, who are competitive junior players.
