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Connors Calls For Vitas and Gomez To Be Inducted Into Hall of Fame
3 Comments · Posted by Scoop Malinowski in Articles, Scoop
Jimmy Connors strongly believes both Vitas Gerulaitis and Andres Gomez should be inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame.
Of Gerulaitis, Jimbo said on a recent “Advantage Connors” podcast: Vitas was seventeen and I was nineteen when we first met, after he joined the Bill Riordan circuit. We hung out a lot together in the 70s and 80s. When I won the US Open in 1978, I went out for a celebration dinner at Maxwell’s Plum in Manhattan. Vitas drove up and parked right in front of the restaurant. And let me tell you, he was hard to miss. He drove a yellow Rolls Royce. He got out of the car with two cute young girls who couldn’t have been a day over eighteen, waltzed in and sat down and congratulated me. He was the only one who did that. He was all class. What the public saw was the real Vitas – the dazzling smile, the free-spirited guitar playing rocker, the playboy lifestyle – yet he was one of the most decent guys I’ve ever known and everybody liked him.
Vitas brought a lot to tennis. Not just his athletic style of play but also his rock star sex appeal, which added a new dimension to the Tour. He was wild and flamboyant but also a great champion, winning the Australian Open in 1977 (defeated Lloyd 63 76 57 36 62) and reaching the finals of the French Open (1980 vs Borg) and US Open (1979 vs McEnroe). He was a Davis Cup participant and winner of 25 Grand Prix tournaments. Is any of that recognized by tennis establishment? No. Vitas had a Hall of Fame career but apparently he didn’t have a Hall of Virtue career – but who does? It’s a joke he’s not in the Hall of Fame. If he doesn’t get in maybe we (Connors and his pal Bjorn Borg) should drop out.
When I tweeted to Jimbo that both Vitas and Andres Gomez, 1990 French Open winner (defeated Agassi) and champion of two other Grand Slam doubles titles, should both be in Newport, the nine-time Grand Slam tweeted back, “I AGREE!!!”
Gomez, from Ecuador, won 21 ATP singles, 33 doubles titles and 1988 French Open and 1986 US Open in doubles. His best ranking was ATP no. 6 in singles and no. 1 in doubles. The achievements and statistics of Andres Gomez surpass many players who have already been inducted into the Hall of Fame, such as Michael Chang, Andy Roddick and Gabriela Sabatini.
Andres Gomez · Ecuador · Hall of Fame Newport · Jimmy Connors · Vitas Gerulaitis
Scoop Malinowski · July 29, 2023 at 6:22 pm
This situation reminds me of when I asked Roger Federer if he would vote for Marcelo Rios to be in the Hall of Fame. Federer replied, “I don’t know exactly what the criteria is but I would vote yes.”
Rios later said that affirmation from Federer meant more to him than actually being in the Hall of Fame. Jimmy Connors saying he believes, vehemently believes, Vitas and Andres Gomez should be in the Hall of Fame is equally valuable and important. This year only two wheelchair players were inducted, two players nobody ever saw play. Not saying they don’t deserve it. Vergeer’s achievement are INCREDIBLE, but Gomez, Vitas, Moya, Ferrero, Rios, Goran deserve it too.
Bill McGill · July 30, 2023 at 5:29 pm
Obviously the line one draws for HOF induction is made up. There is no right or wrong answer. But, if you look at Vitas’ singles career, it would be fair to say he falls somewhere between Tommy Haas and Manuel Orantes. Which is to say, not a clear call either way based on who Newport has, in fact, inducted to the HOF. Having said that, the fact that literally every jackass club player in the tri-state area has a personal Vitas Gerulaitas story, I think it would do Newport some good to induct him.
Scoop Malinowski · July 30, 2023 at 8:48 pm
Yes Bill it would be a colorful and controversial decision to induct Vitas but when Jimmy Connors says he earned it, he EARNED it. Also think Johan Kriek should be in, he two AOs. Don’t care about who didn’t play, he won two Grand Slams.