ITHF ANNOUNCES NOMINEES FOR CLASS OF 2024
Indian tennis great Leander Paes is one of six nominees in the Player Category for the International Tennis Hall of Fame’s ballot for the Class of 2024. In addition to Paes, Cara Black, Ana Ivanović, Carlos Moyá, Daniel Nestor and Flavia Pennetta return to the ballot in the Player Category. The ballot will also include two nominees in the Contributor Category, Vijay Amritraj and renown journalist Richard Evans.
The Player Category recognizes ATP and WTA players who have achieved a distinguished record of competitive achievement at the highest international level. The Class of 2024 Player Category nominees are:
• Cara Black of Zimbabwe, former doubles world No. 1 and a 10-time Grand Slam champion in doubles and mixed doubles
• Ana Ivanović of Serbia, former world No. 1 and 2008 French Open champion
• Carlos Moyá of Spain, winner of the 1998 French Open and former world No. 1
• Daniel Nestor of Canada, a former doubles world No. 1 and winner of 12 major titles in doubles and mixed doubles
• Leander Paes of India, winner of 18 Grand Slam titles in doubles and mixed doubles and a former doubles world No. 1. He makes history as the first Asian man nominated for the Hall of Fame in the Player Category.
• Flavia Pennetta of Italy, former doubles world No. 1 and 2015 US Open singles champion
PLAYER CATEGORY
The Player Category recognizes ATP and WTA players who have achieved a distinguished record of competitive achievement at the highest international level. ITHF Policies & Procedures of Enshrinement state that player candidates remain on the ballot for up to three consecutive years, unless voted in.
In a career defined by longevity at the top, Leander Paes broke new ground in accomplishments in Indian tennis. In a career that spanned three decades, he captured 18 Grand Slam titles, including eight in doubles, 10 in mixed doubles, and a career Slam in both disciplines. Paes spent a total of 462 weeks inside the ATP doubles top 10, including 37 weeks at No. 1, and won 55 doubles titles on tour. A Davis Cup mainstay for India for 30 years, he holds the competition’s record with 43 doubles ties won. In 1996, he became India’s only Olympic medalist in tennis, earning bronze at the Atlanta Games.
“It means the world to me that I am the first Asian man to be nominated for the International Tennis Hall of Fame in the Player Category,” said Paes. “After three decades of passion for our sport and playing for 1.3-plus billion Indians in the Olympics and Davis Cup, I am thrilled that my hard work has been recognized. I have so much gratitude for my parents, siblings, coaches, Davis Cup captains and everyone who has played a role in my career.”
“Tennis has given me so much, and I hope this nomination inspires every young kid around the world that with passion in your heart, hard work and belief in yourself, you too can become a champion.”
Paes and countryman Mahesh Bhupathi together won three Grand Slams between 1999 and 2001, and 26 ATP titles. Paes additionally captured doubles Slams with three other partners and mixed doubles Slams with four different partners, including Hall of Famers Martina Hingis and Martina Navratilova. To date, Paes and Navratilova remain tied for most Grand Slam mixed doubles titles in the Open Era.
Canada’s Daniel Nestor paired with three different partners to capture eight majors and a career Grand Slam in doubles over a decade. In mixed doubles, he won three titles at the Australian Open with three different partners, and teamed with Kristina Mladenovic to win the 2013 US Open. As one of men’s tennis’ most accomplished doubles players, Nestor secured 91 titles during his career and topped the ATP doubles rankings for over 100 weeks. He is the first singles or doubles player on tour to win all nine ATP Masters 1000 titles, as well as the first ATP player to win 1,000 career doubles matches.
Zimbabwe’s Cara Black, world No. 1 doubles player and predominantly a doubles specialist throughout her WTA career, is a winner of 60 career titles. Black held the No. 1 ranking for 163 weeks, and spent 569 weeks inside the world top-10. She was a 5-time major doubles champion winning three titles at Wimbledon, as well as trophies at the Australian Open and the US Open. Black also won five mixed doubles major titles and is one of three women in tennis history (Open Era, since 1968) to have achieved a career Grand Slam in mixed doubles.
Ana Ivanović of Serbia won the 2008 French Open title, and had two additional appearances in major finals, reaching the French Open final in 2007 and the Australian Open final in 2008. Ivanović was ranked world No. 1 and spent 91 weeks inside the world top-5. In addition to the Roland-Garros trophy, Ivanović won 14 career titles, including 3 WTA Premier Mandatory titles. She went on to represent Serbia in Billie Jean King Cup (formerly Fed Cup) competition for nine years, including a run into the finals in 2012. Ivanović is the first Serbian to be nominated for the Hall of Fame.
Carlos Moyá, of Spain is a former world No. 1, and spent more than 200 weeks inside the world top-10. Moyá was the French Open Champion in 1998, and a finalist at the Australian Open in 1997. Additionally, Moyá won 20 career titles, including three Masters 1000-level events. He was a member of the victorious 2004 Spanish Davis Cup team. Since 2016, Moya has coached fellow Spaniard Rafael Nadal.
Italy’s Flavia Pennetta claimed the US Open trophy in 2015 and won an additional 10 singles titles in her career, reaching a career high of world No. 6. Additionally, Pennetta had an accomplished doubles career, achieving the world No. 1 ranking and winning a major doubles title at the Australian Open. Pennetta was a staple of the Italian Billie Jean King Cup team (formerly Fed Cup team) for more than a decade and was integral in capturing four championship titles. She is the first Italian woman to be nominated for the Hall of Fame.
Vijay Amritraj of India and Richard Evans of the United Kingdom are candidates in the Contributor Category. The Contributor Category is considered every two years, and it recognizes true pioneers, visionary leaders, or individuals / groups who have made a transcendent impact on the sport.
CONTRIBUTOR CATEGORY
The Contributor Category are considered for induction every two years. The category recognizes true pioneers, visionary leaders, or individuals / groups who have made a transcendent impact on the sport. Consideration is given to integrity, sportsmanship, and character, and candidates must be either five years removed from committed work in tennis or at least 65 years of age. In recent years the category has been considered every four years, and an amendment to the ITHF’s Policies & Procedures of Enshrinement has resulted in the category now eligible for consideration every two years.
Vijay Amritraj of India and Richard Evans of the United Kingdom are candidates in the Contributor Category.
Vijay Amritraj has broken barriers and worked to spread the sport of tennis on and off the court. As a player in the 1970s and 1980s, his success on court helped to popularize tennis in India and on the Asian continent. He was the first Indian athlete to play professionally, and as the top tennis player in Asia for 14 years won more ATP Tour singles titles (16) than any other Asian player. Amritraj was a stalwart for India’s Davis Cup team for 20 years, leading his country to its only two finals appearances in 1974 and 1987.
For three decades, Amritraj has been the face of tennis broadcasting in Asia, India and the Middle East, sharing the sport with millions, and contributed to bringing the first WTA and ATP tournaments to India. He has notably used his profile for good, including becoming the first Indian to serve as United Nations Messenger of Peace. Since 2006, the Vijay Amritraj Foundation has provided housing, education, and basic needs for women and children in India’s neediest communities.
A renown tennis journalist and historian, Richard Evans has spent a lifetime contributing to the sport’s growth and global reach. During his career, he has reported on over 200 Grand Slams and authored 23 books. Evans was integral in the development and globalization of the ATP Tour, becoming the fledgling organization’s first press officer in 1973.
From 1974 to '77, Evans served as ATP European Director in Paris, tasked with the job of persuading traditional amateur Tournament Directors throughout Europe to professionalize their events and treat players as professionals. In 1977, he was voted onto the ATP Board of Directors for two years. In 1976, he conceptualized and proposed the creation of ATP University for players embarking on professional careers, and helped implement the program in 1980.
FAN VOTING RETURNS
Induction into the International Tennis Hall of Fame represents the Ultimate Honor in Tennis, with a sum of the honoree’s achievements and impact as being amongst the greatest in the sport’s history.
With the ballot is set, the Official Voting Group comprised of tennis journalists, historians, and Hall of Famers, will cast their ballots over the next month.
Fans around the globe can also weigh in on which Player Category nominees are deserving of Hall of Fame induction during ITHF Fan Voting, which returns tomorrow. From Wednesday, Sept. 27 through Monday, Oct. 9, tennis fans can cast their ballots at vote.tennisfame.com.
The top three candidates in the Fan Vote will receive added percentage points to their vote totals from the Official Voting Group, with first place earning three percentage points, second place two percentage points, and third place one percentage point. To be elected to the Hall of Fame, candidates must receive an affirmative vote of at least 75% or higher from the combined total of the Official Voting Group result, and any bonus percentage points earned in the Fan Vote.
Results from the Fan Vote will be announced shortly after the voting period. Following the Official Voting Group ballot tabulation, the Class of 2024 inductees will be announced later this fall.
