2018 Inductees Suková & Stich See Hall of Fame for the First Time

For decades, they had each circled the globe, crisscrossing the planet again and again in the relentlessly widening but increasingly familiar spider web that defines life as a professional tennis player – cities and towns, cars and planes, indoors and outdoors, across every continent.

Until Friday morning, though, neither Helena Sukova nor Michael Stich had been to Newport and the International Tennis Hall of Fame (ITHF). Today, Sukova and Stich will be officially inducted into the ITHF – tennis’ highest honor – in a grand ceremony that will be televised all across the globe.

But yesterday was far more private. Accompanied by their respective presenters – Sukova’s brother and mixed doubles partner, Cyril; Stich’s coach from his glory years, Mark Lewis – Sukova and Stich strolled the grounds and were given a personal tour of the museum. “The entire history of the game is so interesting,” said Stich. “You see that what you are is part of it all, but just a tiny fragment.”

Here was Sukova, asking questions about a famous match played by Hall of Famers Suzanne Lenglen and Helen Wills in 1926. “All of the exhibits are so special,” said Sukova, at that point recalling her late mother Vera’s tremendous racquet collection (Vera also reached the Wimbledon singles final in 1962). There was Stich, exploring images of players he hadn’t thought about in years, curious about when tennis balls went from white to yellow.

Photos and trophies, magazine covers and videos, clothing and racquets, Sukova and Stich had it all at their fingertips, inspired by the legends of tennis past, eager soon enough to enter history’s honor roll.  

Sukova joins a long line of highly accomplished Czech players. These include such Hall of Famers as Jaroslav Drobny, Karel Kozeluh, Hana Mandlikova, Martina Navratilova, Jana Novotna and a man who’s here today, Jan Kodes.

The Hall of Famer Stich thought about was the great German from the ‘30s, Gottfried von Cramm. Said Stich, “He was our first tennis superstar. He stood up against the regime and was a talented and elegant sportsman.”

From the museum to the induction, time at the ITHF is both intellectual and emotional. Months ago, sleeping at home, Sukova received the phone call that she would be inducted into the ITHF. “I was in shock,” she said. “It was a beautiful surprise.”

But even now, just over 24 hours prior to her induction, Sukova admitted that, “It hasn’t sunk in yet. It isn’t really happening.” Stich concurred, calling his trip to Newport, “an adventure trip.” Each expected all would become more clear at today’s induction ceremony – though each also suspected there would be at least one deeply emotional moment during the ceremony. And why not?