Leander Paes, Vijay Amritraj and Richard Evans to be inducted into International Tennis Hall of Fame in 2024
Paes and Amritraj become the first Indians elected to the Hall of Fame. Paes will be inducted in the Player Category, with Amritraj and Evans selected in the Contributor Category.
The Class of 2024 Induction Ceremony will be held in Newport, R.I. on July 20, 2024. Packages and tickets will go on sale in spring.
Class of 2024
DECEMBER 13, 2023, NEWPORT, R.I., U.S.A. – Former doubles world No. 1 Leander Paes, broadcaster and promoter Vijay Amritraj, and renowned journalist and writer Richard Evans have been elected to receive the Ultimate Honor in Tennis – induction into the International Tennis Hall of Fame.
Amritraj and Paes become the first two Indians to receive tennis’ Ultimate Honor, and the first Asian men to be elected in their respective categories. Paes, an 18-time Grand Slam champion in doubles and mixed doubles, has been selected in the Player Category. Amritraj and the United Kingdom’s Evans are inductees in the Contributor Category, which is considered for election every two years. The Contributor Category recognizes true pioneers, visionary leaders, or individuals/groups who have made a transcendent impact on the sport.
The Class of 2024 will be officially inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame on Saturday, July 20, 2024 in Newport, Rhode Island, U.S.A. Paes, Amritraj and Evans will join an elite group of 264 inductees from 27 nations – with India set to become the 28th nation represented in the Hall of Fame.
“I am thrilled to congratulate Leander Paes, Vijay Amritraj, and Richard Evans on their election to the International Tennis Hall of Fame,” said Hall of Fame President and Class of 2017 inductee Kim Clijsters. “These three legends have served as trailblazers in their impact on tennis, and in spreading the sport worldwide. We are excited to celebrate the Class of 2024 in the coming year.”
Tickets for the 2024 Induction Ceremony and full Enshrinement Weekend experiences will go on sale in March. Fans can learn more about Enshrinement Weekend offerings and subscribe for updates at tennisfame.com/enshrinement.
ABOUT THE INDUCTEES & REACTION
Leander_Paes
“It has been my life’s honor to play for my country for over three decades in a sport that has given and taught me everything,” said Paes. “This acknowledgment is indeed the ultimate accolade for every tennis player. Induction into the International Tennis Hall of Fame belongs not just to me, but to our billion-plus Indians. Receiving this honor culminates a professional journey of a lifetime, standing on the shoulders of greats and sets the tone for other youngsters in Asia and around the world.”
During his three-decade career, Leander Paes topped the world rankings in doubles and won 18 Grand Slam titles. With eight doubles Grand Slam titles and 10 in mixed doubles, he is one of only three men in tennis history to capture a career Grand Slam in both disciplines. Paes is tied with his former partner, Hall of Famer Martina Navratilova, for the most mixed doubles major titles in history. Additionally, he and Hall of Famer Martina Hingis are one of only two mixed doubles teams in the Open Era to complete a career Grand Slam together. In a testament to his longevity at the sport’s height, 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.
Paes proudly represented India in international competition for 30 years, winning a Davis Cup record 45 doubles rubbers during his career. He competed in a record seven consecutive Olympic Games, the most in tennis history, and is India’s only Olympic medalist in tennis, capturing bronze in singles at the 1996 Atlanta Games. Earlier this year, fans around the globe cast their ballots and elected Paes as the winner of the Hall of Fame’s annual Fan Vote for induction.
Vijay
“This is truly a blessing, and an honor to be included in the history of tennis, among the greats who have played and served the sport,” said Amritraj. “Acknowledging the culmination of a career that started with illness and now to be inducted in the International Tennis Hall of Fame, is making impossible dreams come true. It is a gift from above for me and my family and an honor for India.”
Since becoming a globally-known name as an athlete in the 1970s and 1980s, Amritraj has used his profile to spread the sport of tennis throughout India and the Asian continent. Amritraj’s trailblazing success on the ATP Tour popularized the sport and inspired a generation of new players. Amritraj was one of India’s greatest players in the Open Era, anchoring India’s Davis Cup squad to its only two Finals appearances in 1974 and 1987; in 1974, he played a key role in India’s boycott of the Final against South Africa to demonstrate against Apartheid.
Post-retirement, Amritraj has become the face of tennis broadcasting in Asia and the Middle East, sharing the sport with millions during the Grand Slams. As an administrator, he has helped to expand professional tennis’ presence in India, including the ATP Chennai Open, WTA’s Chennai Open and two ATP Challenger events. Amritraj has consistently worked to advance humanitarian causes and the greater good. In 2001, he became the first Indian to serve as United Nations Messenger of Peace. Since 2006, the Vijay Amritraj Foundation has provided education, and basic needs for women and children in India’s neediest communities.
Richard Evans
“Being recognized as having done something useful by one’s peers is always a great honor,” said Evans. “It has also been such a pleasure to have spent a large part of my career writing about such a fabulous sport alongside players and fellow journalists whose talent I have admired.”
For over six decades, Evans has been a preeminent voice on tennis as a journalist and historian. Since Wimbledon in 1960, he has reported on over 200 Grand Slams and numerous other tournaments. His observations on the sport and its players during watershed growth have resulted in 23 books authored over the course of his career. Including anthologies on Open tennis, the Davis Cup, biographies on some of tennis’ most legendary names, and more, Evans’ books stand the test of time as invaluable, insightful, and comprehensive resources. Evans is one of the founding members of the International Tennis Writers’ Association and served as its president from 2001-04.
Evans was a key player in the ATP Tour’s growth in the early Open Era. In 1973, following the Wimbledon boycott, he became the organization’s first press officer. From 1974-77, 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. During this time, Evans was instrumental in conceptualizing and proposing the creation of ATP University for players embarking on professional careers and helped implement the program in 1980.
The Class of 2024 will be inducted Saturday, July 20, 2024 at the International Tennis Hall of Fame in Newport, Rhode Island during Enshrinement Weekend celebrations. Full weekend packages and a la carte tickets for the Induction Ceremony and other events will go on sale in spring 2024. Fans can subscribe now for updates at tennisfame.com/enshrinement.
Leander Paes · Newport · Tennis Hall of Fame · Vijay Amritraj
