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International Tennis Hall of Fame facts for kids

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International Tennis Hall of Fame
ITHF V Gray+Yellow.jpg
Established 1880
1954 (Hall of fame and museum)
Location Newport, Rhode Island
Type Professional sports hall of fame; museum; National Historic Landmark; tennis club; court tennis club; tennis tournament venue
Accreditation American Alliance of Museums
Founder James J. Van Alen
Public transit access RIPTA

The International Tennis Hall of Fame is located in Newport, Rhode Island, United States. It honors both players and other contributors to the sport of tennis. The complex, the former Newport Casino, includes a museum, 13 grass tennis courts, an indoor tennis facility with three courts, three outdoor hard courts, one green clay court, a court tennis facility, and a theatre. The International Tennis Hall of Fame is a non-profit organization with the goal of preserving, celebrating, and inspiring the sport of tennis around the world.

History

ITHF courtyard - straight on
The inner courtyard, horseshoe court, and clocktower of the Newport Casino, home to the International Tennis Hall of Fame.

The hall of fame and museum are located in the Newport Casino, which was commissioned in 1879 by James Gordon Bennett Jr. as part of an exclusive resort for wealthy Newport summer residents. It was designed by Charles McKim along with Stanford White, who did the interiors. It is an example of Victorian Shingle Style architecture. In 1881, the Real Tennis Court (housing the National Tennis Club) and the Casino Theatre were constructed at the east end of the campus. The club was opened on July 1, 1880, after a six-month construction period and quickly became a fashionable venue for Newport summer residents.

The United States Lawn Tennis Association held its first championships at the Newport Casino in 1881. The event was held annually through 1914, by which time tennis had become the key attraction at the resort. The championship was suspended during World War I.

But by the 1950s, the retreat was struggling financially, as tourism preferences changed. It was at risk of being demolished for redevelopment of modern retail space, but the building was purchased and saved by Jimmy and Candy Van Alen, wealthy Newport summer residents. A sportsman himself, in 1954, Jimmy Van Alen established the National Tennis Hall of Fame and Museum in the Casino. The combination of tennis matches and the museum allowed the building to be saved.

ITHF Bellevue Entrance
International Tennis Hall of Fame entrance on Bellevue Ave.

Van Alen intended the facility to be "a shrine to the ideals of the game", and was elected president of the hall in 1957. The International Tennis Hall of Fame was officially sanctioned by the United States Tennis Association at its foundation in 1954. In 1975, with the induction of England's Fred Perry, the organization officially became the International Tennis Hall of Fame. It was recognized by the International Tennis Federation in 1986. The first Hall of Fame members were inducted in 1955; as of 2023, a total of 262 inductees from 27 countries have been recognized.

In 2015, Martina Hingis was appointed as the first Global Ambassador for the International Tennis Hall of Fame. In 2016, Guga Kuerten was appointed a Global Ambassador, and in 2017 Michael Chang was appointed a Global Ambassador.

The current Board of Governors includes former professional tennis players Kim Clijsters (Honorary President), Patrick McEnroe (President), Gigi Fernández, Katrina Adams, and Vijay Amritraj.

TeamFAME

TeamFAME is the International Tennis Hall of Fame's National Junior Tennis & Learning (NJTL) Chapter that began in 2018 and is housed in the historic Canfield House building (now owned by the ITHF). TeamFAME: Future Aces Modeling Excellence, provides out-of-school activities to help the underserved community reach their goals, learn new skills, and change lives on and off the court. TeamFAME works to inspire future leaders through character, education, academic, enrichment, and healthy living. There are year long programs for kids, such as after school programs and summer tennis programs that run for 10 weeks in local neighborhoods. To learn more about TeamFAME visit the International Tennis Hall of Fame.

Museum

International Tennis Hall of Fame entrance
The Arcade of the International Tennis Hall of Fame, facing towards Bellevue Avenue

The museum chronicles the history of the sport from the 12th century through the modern day. The museum's permanent collection contains approximately 30,000 objects, including modern and historic tennis equipment, fine art, decorative arts, artifacts from Hall of Famers and other significant figures within the sport, trophies, textiles and clothing, ephemera, and furnishings. The mseum's Information Research Center (IRC) houses 5,000 books, 3,000+ audio-visual materials, 1 million plus photographic images, and a comprehensive collection of magazines, programs, periodicals, blueprints and archival materials. The collection is displayed year-round in the museum's 13,000 square feet (1,200 m2) of exhibit space. The museum also offers several digital exhibits.

The museum reopened in May 2015 following a nearly complete renovation of its exhibition spaces. The redesigned and reinterpreted galleries encompass more than 12,000 square feet of interactive exhibits, videos, and approximately 2,000 artifacts related to tennis' history and champions past and present. 

The museum was initially accredited by the American Alliance of Museums in 2013, and subsequently reaccredited in 2022.

The museum became a Smithsonian Affiliate in 2017.

The museum is also a partner of the Google Arts & Culture initiative.

Awards

For a description of each award and a list of its recipients, see footnote

  • Chairman's Award
  • Davis Cup Award of Excellence
  • Eugene L. Scott Award
  • Fed Cup Award of Excellence
  • Golden Achievement Award
  • Joseph F. Cullman 3rd Award
  • Samuel Hardy Award
  • Tennis Educational Merit Award

Infosys Hall of Fame Open

The Hall of Fame hosts several tournaments, including the Infosys Hall of Fame Open in July. The Infosys Hall of Fame Open is a part of the US Open Series, as well as being part of the men's ATP World Tour, the tournament is the only grass court event in North America. Top male players come to Newport directly from Wimbledon to compete for the Van Alen Cup at the International Tennis Hall of Fame. Past champions include Americans John Isner (4× Hall of Fame Open Champion) and Mardy Fish, two-time champion Fabrice Santoro of France, and Australia's Lleyton Hewitt. During the tournament, Tennis Hall of Famers are officially inducted in front of family, friends, fans, and fellow members of the Tennis Hall of Fame.

ITHF Arcade 1
International Tennis Hall of Fame
ITHF courtyard
International Tennis Hall of Fame
ITHF front lawn courts
Front Lawn courts with indoor tennis club and outdoor hard courts in background.
ITHF clocktower & Fred
International Tennis Hall of Fame (Fred Perry sculpture in foreground)

Members

Being inducted into the Tennis Hall of Fame is the ultimate honor in tennis. It represents the sum of one's achievements and contributions as being among the most important and transformative in tennis history. There is a seven-step process to be inducted into the Tennis Hall of Fame. A player or contributor must be nominated to be inducted, and then the national enshrinement committee reviews their eligibility. Once it is decided if they are eligible, the committee reviews if the nominee will be considered by voters. After review, the voting begins; both group and fan voting takes place. A nominee must receive at least 75% from the Official Voting Group result or a combined total of 75% or more from the Official Voting Group result and any bonus percentage points they earn through the Fan Vote. Votes are tallied by an independent accounting firm. The class induction is announced in January, and the new class is inducted into the Tennis Hall of Fame in July at the International Tennis Hall of Fame.

  • For further details, see footnote
  • For a list of inductees—alphabetically, by country, and by year of induction—see footnote
  • Note: Inductees are listed below in two categories (Player category and Contributor category).

Player category

     Men's player      Women's player

Name Nationality Category Year inducted Ref.
Agassi, Andre  United States Recent Player 2011
Akhurst, Daphne  Australia Master Player 2013
Alexander, Frederick "Fred"  United States Player 1961
Allison, Wilmer  United States Player 1963
Alonso, Manuel  Spain Master Player 1977
Anderson, James  Australia Master Player 2013
Anderson, Malcolm  Australia Master Player 2000
Ashe, Arthur  United States Recent Player 1985
Atkinson, Juliette  United States Player 1974
Austin, Henry "Bunny"  Great Britain Master Player 1997
Austin, Tracy  United States Recent Player 1992
Baddeley, Wilfred  Great Britain Master Player 2013
Barger-Wallach, Maud  United States Player 1958
Becker, Boris  West Germany/ Germany Recent Player 2003
Behr, Karl  United States Player 1969
Betz Addie, Pauline  United States Player 1965
Bingley Hillyard, Blanche  Great Britain Master Player 2013
Bjurstedt Mallory, Molla  Norway/ United States Player 1958
Borg, Björn  Sweden Recent Player 1987
Borotra, Jean  France Master Player 1976
Bromwich, John  Australia Master Player 1984
Brookes, Norman  Australia Master Player 1977
Brough Clapp, Louise  United States Player 1967
Browne, Mary K.  United States Player 1957
Brugnon, Jacques  France Master Player 1976
Budge, John Donald "Don"  United States Player 1964
Bueno, Maria Esther  Brazil Recent Player 1978
Bundy Cheney, Dorothy  United States Master Player 2004
Cahill, Mabel  Ireland Player 1976
Campbell, Oliver  United States Player 1955
Capriati, Jennifer  United States Recent Player 2012
Casals, Rosemary  United States Recent Player 1996
Chace, Malcolm  United States Player 1961
Chang, Michael  United States Recent Player 2008
Clark, Clarence  United States Master Player 1983
Clark, Joseph  United States Player 1955
Clijsters, Kim  Belgium Recent Player 2017
Clothier, William  United States Player 1956
Cochet, Henri  France Master Player 1976
Connolly Brinker, Maureen  United States Player 1968
Connors, James "Jimmy"  United States Recent Player 1998
Cooper, Ashley  Australia Master Player 1991
Cooper Sterry, Charlotte  Great Britain Master Player 2013
Courier, Jim  United States Recent Player 2005
Coyne Long, Thelma  Australia Master Player 2013
Crawford, Jack  Australia Master Player 1979
Davenport, Lindsay  United States Recent Player 2014
Davidson, Owen  Australia Master Player 2010
Davidson, Sven  Sweden Master Player 2007
Davis, Dwight F.  United States Player 1956
Dod, Charlotte "Lottie"  Great Britain Player 1983
Doeg, John  United States Player 1962
Doherty, Laurence  Great Britain Player 1980
Doherty, Reginald  Great Britain Player 1980
Douglass Chambers, Dorothea  Great Britain Player 1981
Draney, Rick  United States Wheelchair Tennis 2023
Drobný, Jaroslav  Czechoslovakia/ Egypt Master Player 1983
Dürr, Françoise  France Master Player 2003
Dwight, James  United States Player 1955
Edberg, Stefan  Sweden Recent Player 2004
Emerson, Roy  Australia Recent Player 1982
Etchebaster, Pierre  France Court Tennis Player 1978
Evert, Christine "Chris"  United States Recent Player 1995
Falkenburg, Robert "Bob"  United States/ Brazil Player 1974
Fernández, Beatriz "Gigi"  Puerto Rico Recent Player 2010
Fraser, Neale  Australia Master Player 1984
Fry-Irvin, Shirley  United States Player 1970
Garland, Chuck  United States Master Player 1969
Gibson, Althea  United States Player 1971
Gimeno, Andrés  Spain Master Player 2009
Gonzales, Richard "Pancho"  United States Player 1968
Goolagong, Evonne  Australia Recent Player 1988
Gore, Arthur  Great Britain Master Player 2006
Graf, Stefanie "Steffi"  West Germany/ Germany Recent Player 2004
Grant, Bryan "Bitsy"  United States Master Player 1972
Hackett, Harold  United States Player 1961
Hall, David  Australia Wheelchair Tennis 2015
Hansell, Ellen  United States Player 1965
Hard, Darlene  United States Player 1973
Hart, Doris  United States Player 1969
Haydon Jones, Ann  Great Britain Player 1985
Henin, Justine  Belgium Recent Player 2016
Hewitt, Lleyton  Australia Recent Player 2021
Hingis, Martina  Switzerland Recent Player 2013
Hoad, Lewis "Lew"  Australia Master Player 1980
Hopman, Harry  Australia Master Player 1978
Hotchkiss Wightman, Hazel  United States Player 1957
Hovey, Frederick  United States Master Player 1974
Hunt, Joseph "Joe"  United States Player 1966
Hunter, Frank  United States Player 1961
Hull Jacobs, Helen  United States Player 1962
Ivanišević, Goran  Yugoslavia/ Croatia Recent Player 2020
Johnston, William "Bill"  United States Player 1958
Jones Farquhar, Marion  United States Master Player 2006
Kafelnikov, Yevgeny  Russia Recent Player 2019
King, Billie Jean Moffitt  United States Recent Player 1987
Kalkman-Van Den Bosch, Monique  Netherlands Wheelchair Tennis 2017
Kodeš, Jan  Czechoslovakia Recent Player 1990
Koželuh, Karel  Czechoslovakia Master Player 2006
Krahwinkel Sperling, Hilde German Reich/ Denmark Master Player 2013
Kramer, John Albert "Jack"  United States Player 1968
Kuerten, Gustavo "Guga"  Brazil Recent Player 2012
Lacoste, René  France Master Player 1976
Larned, William "Bill"  United States Player 1956
Larsen, Arthur "Art"  United States Player 1969
Laver, Rodney "Rod"  Australia Recent Player 1981
Lawford, Herbert  Great Britain Master Player 2006
Lendl, Ivan  Czechoslovakia/ United States Recent Player 2001
Lenglen, Suzanne  France Master Player 1978
Li Na  China Recent Player 2019
Lott, George  United States Player 1964
Mako, Constantine "Gene"  United States Master Player 1973
Mandlíková, Hana  Czechoslovakia/ Australia Recent Player 1994
Marble, Alice  United States Player 1964
Martínez, Conchita  Spain Recent Player 2020
Mathieu, Simonne  France Master Player 2006
Mauresmo, Amélie  France Recent Player 2015
McEnroe, John  United States Recent Player 1999
McGregor, Kenneth "Ken"  Australia Master Player 1999
McKane Godfree, Kathleen "Kitty"  Great Britain Master Player 1978
McKinley, Charles Robert "Chuck"  United States Recent Player 1986
McLoughlin, Maurice  United States Player 1957
McMillan, Frew  South Africa Recent Player 1992
McNeill, Don  United States Recent Player 1965
Moore, Elisabeth  United States Master Player 1971
Mortimer Barrett, Angela  Great Britain Master Player 1993
Mulloy, Gardnar  United States Recent Player 1972
Murray, R. Lindley  United States Master Player 1958
Năstase, Ilie  Romania Recent Player 1991
Navratilova, Martina  Czechoslovakia/ United States Recent Player 2000
Newcombe, John  Australia Recent Player 1986
Noah, Yannick  France Recent Player 2005
Novotná, Jana Czechoslovakia/Czech Republic Recent Player 2005
Nüsslein, Hans German Reich/ Nazi Germany/ West Germany Master Player 2006
Nuthall Shoemaker, Betty  Great Britain Master Player 1977
Olmedo, Alex  Peru/ United States Master Player 1987
Orantes, Manuel  Spain Master Player 2012
Osborne duPont, Margaret  United States Recent Player 1967
Osuna, Rafael  Mexico Recent Player 1979
Palfrey Danzig, Sarah  United States Player 1963
Parker, Frank  United States Player 1966
Patterson, Gerald  Australia Master Player 1989
Patty, John Edward "Budge"  United States Recent Player 1977
Pell, Theodore  United States Master Player 1966
Perry, Frederick "Fred"  Great Britain Master Player 1975
Petra, Yvon  France Master Player 2016
Pettitt, Tom  Great Britain Court Tennis Player 1982
Pierce, Mary  France Recent Player 2019
Pietrangeli, Nicola  Italy Recent Player 1986
Quist, Adrian  Australia Master Player 1984
Rafter, Patrick "Pat"  Australia Recent Player 2006
Ralston, Dennis  United States Recent Player 1987
Renshaw, Ernest  Great Britain Master Player 1983
Renshaw, William  Great Britain Master Player 1983
Richards, Vincent  United States Player 1961
Richey, Nancy  United States Master Player 2003
Riggs, Robert "Bobby"  United States Player 1967
Roche, Anthony "Tony"  Australia Recent Player 1986
Roddick, Andy  United States Recent Player 2017
Roosevelt, Ellen  United States Master Player 1975
Rose, Mervyn  Australia Master Player 2001
Rosewall, Kenneth "Ken"  Australia Recent Player 1980
Round Little, Dorothy  Great Britain Master Player 1986
Ryan, Elizabeth  United States Master Player 1972
Sabatini, Gabriela  Argentina Recent Player 2006
Safin, Marat  Russia Recent Player 2016
Sampras, Pete  United States Recent Player 2007
Sánchez Vicario, Arantxa  Spain Recent Player 2007
Santana, Manuel  Spain Recent Player 1984
Savitt, Richard "Dick"  United States Recent Player 1976
Schroeder, Frederick "Ted"  United States Player 1966
Scriven, Margaret "Peggy"  Great Britain Master Player 2016
Sears, Eleonora  United States Master Player 1968
Sears, Richard  United States Player 1955
Sedgman, Frank  Australia Master Player 1979
Segura, Pancho  United States Master Player 1984
Seixas, Elias Victor "Vic"  United States Recent Player 1971
Seles, Monica  Yugoslavia/ FR Yugoslavia/ United States Recent Player 2009
Shields, Frank  United States Player 1964
Shriver, Pamela "Pam"  United States Recent Player 2002
Slocum, Henry  United States Player 1955
Smith, Stanley "Stan"  United States Recent Player 1987
Smith Court, Margaret  Australia Recent Player 1979
Snow, Randy  United States Wheelchair Tennis 2012
Stich, Michael  West Germany/ Germany Recent Player 2018
Stolle, Frederick "Fred"  Australia Recent Player 1985
Suková, Helena Czechoslovakia/Czech Republic Recent Player 2018
Sutton Bundy, May  United States Player 1956
Talbert, William "Bill"  United States Player 1967
Tilden, William "Bill"  United States Player 1959
Townsend Toulmin, Bertha  United States Master Player 1974
Trabert, Anthony "Tony"  United States Recent Player 1970
Turner Bowrey, Lesley  Australia Master Player 1997
Van Ryn, John  United States Player 1963
Vandierendonck, Chantal  Netherlands Wheelchair Tennis 2014
Vergeer, Esther  Netherlands Wheelchair Tennis 2023
Vilas, Guillermo  Argentina Recent Player 1991
Vines, Henry Ellsworth  United States Player 1962
von Cramm, Gottfried German Reich/ Nazi Germany/ West Germany Master Player 1977
Wade, Virginia  Great Britain Recent Player 1989
Wagner, Marie  United States Master Player 1969
Ward, Holcombe  United States Player 1956
Washburn, Watson  United States Player 1965
Whitman, Malcolm  United States Player 1955
Wilander, Mats  Sweden Recent Player 2002
Wilding, Anthony "Tony"  New Zealand Master Player 1978
Williams, Richard  United States Player 1957
Wills Moody Roark, Helen  United States Player 1959
Wood, Sidney  United States Player 1964
Woodbridge, Todd  Australia Recent Player 2010
Woodforde, Mark  Australia Recent Player 2010
Wrenn, Robert "Bob"  United States Player 1955
Wright, Beals  United States Player 1956
Wynne Bolton, Nancye  Australia Master Player 2006
Zvereva, Natalya "Natasha"  Soviet Union/ Belarus Recent Player 2010

*note - Bob Hewitt of South Africa was inducted into the Tennis Hall of Fame in 1992, but he was suspended indefinitely in 2012 and expelled from the Hall in 2016.

Contributor category

Name Life span Nationality Year inducted Ref.
Original 9 2021
Adams, Russ 1930–2017  United States 2007
Adee, George 1874–1948  United States 1964
Baker, Lawrence 1890–1980  United States 1975
Barrett, John 1931–  Great Britain 2014
Bollettieri, Nick 1931–2022  United States 2014
Braden, Vic 1929–2014  United States 2017
Brown Grimes, Jane 1941–2021  United States 2014
Buchholz Jr., Earl 1940–  United States 2005
Chatrier, Philippe 1926–2000  France 1992
Clerici, Gianni 1930–2022  Italy 2006
Collins, Arthur "Bud" 1929–2016  United States 1994
Cullman III, Joseph 1912–2004  United States 1990
Danzig, Allison 1898–1987  United States 1968
Davies, Michael 1936–2015  Great Britain (Wales) 2012
David, Herman 1905–1974  Great Britain 1998
Dell, Donald 1938–  United States 2009
Drysdale, Cliff 1941–  South Africa 2013
Flink, Steve 1952–  United States 2017
Gray, David 1927–1983  Great Britain 1985
Griffin, Clarence 1888–1973  United States 1970
Gustav V of Sweden 1858–1950  Sweden 1980
Hardwick, Derek 1921–1987  Great Britain 2010
Heldman, Gladys 1922–2003  United States 1979
Hester, William 1912–1993  United States 1981
Hunt, Lamar 1932–2006  United States 1993
Jeffett, Nancy 1928–2017  United States 2015
Johnson, Robert 1899–1971  United States 2009
Jones, Perry 1890–1970  United States 1970
Kelleher, Robert 1913–2012  United States 2000
Kellmeyer, Fern "Peachy" 1944–  United States 2011
Laney, Al 1895–1988  United States 1979
Martin, Alastair 1915–2010  United States 1973
Maskell, Dan 1908–1992  Great Britain 1996
McChesney Martin, William 1906–1998  United States 1982
McCormack, Mark 1930–2003  United States 2008
Myrick, Julian 1880–1969  United States 1963
Nielsen, Arthur 1923–1980  United States 1971
Outerbridge, Mary 1852–1886  United States 1979
Parks, Brad 1957–  United States 2010
Pasarell, Charlie 1944–  United States 2013
Scott, Eugene "Gene" 1937–2006  United States 2008
Tingay, Lance 1915–1990  Great Britain 1982
Tinling, Ted 1910–1990  Great Britain 1986
Țiriac, Ion 1939–  Romania 2013
Tobin, Brian 1930–  Australia 2003
Van Alen, James 1902–1991  United States 1965
Van der Meer, Dennis 1933–2019  United States 2021
Wingfield, Walter Clopton 1833–1912  Great Britain 1997

Global Ambassador category

Name Nationality Year appointed Ref.
Hingis, Martina  Switzerland 2015
Kuerten, Gustavo  Brazil 2016

Nationalities

Country # of members
 United States 135
 Australia 32
 Great Britain 29
 France 11
Czechoslovakia/Czech Republic 8
 Germany 6
 Spain
 Sweden 5
 Argentina 2
 Belgium
 Brazil
 Italy
 Netherlands
 Romania
 Russia
 South Africa
 Belarus 1
 China
 Croatia
 Egypt
 Ireland
 Mexico
 New Zealand
 Norway
 Peru
 Puerto Rico
 Switzerland
// Yugoslavia/Serbia

Images for kids

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Salón de la Fama del Tenis Internacional para niños

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