Since 2018, the International Tennis Hall of Fame (ITHF) has involved fans in the selection process for the sport’s ultimate honor, by giving them the chance to have their say on the nominees who’ve made the annual ballot.
This year’s list of induction hopefuls features WTA stars Cara Black, Ana Ivanovic, Flavia Pennetta and Lisa Raymond, alongside the ATP’s Carlos Moya and Juan Carlos Ferrero – and fans have until Sunday, Oct. 31 to vote for their favorites at vote.tennisfame.com.
Ivanovic, Black, Pennetta and Moya are all new nominees, while Ferrero and Raymond are up for a second year. Under Hall of Fame rules, a nominee can remain on the ballot for up to three consecutive years.
“The six nominees named to the International Tennis Hall of Fame’s 2022 ballot have all achieved remarkable results on tennis’ biggest stages – Grand Slam titles, topping the world rankings, Davis Cup and Billie Jean King Cup victories," ITHF President Stan Smith said. "Their successes are highlights of tennis history, and it’s a pleasure to recognize their accomplishments with the honor of International Tennis Hall of Fame nomination."
Todd Martin, CEO of the International Tennis Hall of Fame, added: “Tennis fans are discerning, knowledgeable, and passionate. Their input into who becomes a Hall of Famer is integral to the International Tennis Hall of Fame’s induction procedure.”
The top three vote-getters in the fan vote receive bonus percentage points on their official voting group result. The official voting group is comprised of expert tennis journalists, historians, and Hall of Famers, who will deliberate in the months ahead. The candidate with the highest result in the Fan Vote will receive three additional percentage points added onto their result from the Official Voting Group, while second and third place will receive two and one additional percentage points, respectively.
To be elected into the Hall of Fame, a candidate must receive an affirmative vote of 75% or higher from the combined total of their Official Voting Group result and any bonus percentage points earned in the Fan Vote.
The Class of 2022 Inductees will be announced in early 2022, with the Induction Ceremony slated to take place on July 16, 2022.
More on the WTA’s nominees:
The first Serbian to be nominated for Hall of Fame recognition, Ana Ivanovic won Roland Garros in 2008 and made two additional major finals, also reaching the title bout in Paris in 2007 and the Australian Open final in 2008. In addition to Roland Garros, Ivanovic won 14 WTA titles, including Indian Wells in 2008. She was ranked World No.1 for 12 weeks and spent 91 weeks inside the Top 5, and helped Serbia reach the finals of the Billie Jean King Cup (formerly Fed Cup) in 2012.
The first Italian woman to be nominated for the Hall of Fame, Flavia Pennetta won the US Open in 2015, defeating Roberta Vinci in the first all-Italian major final. Pennetta won an additional 10 singles titles in her career and reached a career-high singles ranking of No.6. Additionally, she put together an accomplished doubles record, reaching World No.1 and winning the Australian Open with Gisela Dulko. Pivotal in Billie Jean King Cup competition, she helped her country capture four championship titles.
Zimbabwe’s Cara Black won 60 doubles titles during her career and spent 163 weeks as World No.1 – third on the all-time list behind Martina Navratilova and Liezel Huber. Her five doubles majors came at Wimbledon, where she won three titles, as well as the Australian Open and the US Open. She also won five mixed doubles Slams (two of them with her brother, Wayne) and is one of three women in the Open Era to have a achieved a career Grand Slam in mixed doubles.
College tennis trailblazer Lisa Raymond won 11 major titles – six in women’s doubles, where she holds a career Grand Slam, and five in mixed doubles. She also earned a bronze medal at the 2012 Summer Olympics with her mixed doubles partner, Mike Bryan, and was a member of a championship U.S. Billie Jean King Cup team. Winning 79 doubles titles overall, Raymond was ranked World No.1 for 137 weeks – fourth on the all-time list – and she also reached the Top 15 in singles.
