Former World No. 1s Juan Carlos Ferrero and Carlos Moya are among six players on the t he International Tennis Hall of Fame’s ballot for 2022.
The Class of 2022 nominees are:
• Carlos Moya, of Spain, the winner of the 1998 French Open and a former World No. 1
• Spaniard Juan Carlos Ferrero, the 2003 French Open Champion and a former World No. 1
• Serbian Ana Ivanovic, 2008 French Open Champion and a former World No. 1
• Italy’s Flavia Pennetta, 2015 US Open singles champion and former doubles World No. 1
• Cara Black of Zimbabwe, a former doubles World No. 1 and the winner of 10 major titles in doubles and mixed doubles
• Lisa Raymond of the United States, a former doubles World No. 1 and winner of 11 Grand Slam titles in doubles and mixed doubles
“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. Their successes are highlights of tennis history, and it’s a pleasure to recognise their accomplishments with the honour of International Tennis Hall of Fame nomination,” said ITHF President Stan Smith.
Ivanovic, Black, Pennetta, and Moya are all new nominees to the ballot, while Ferrero and Raymond are returning nominees in their second year on the ballot. The International Tennis Hall of Fame policy states that a nominee remains on the ballot for up to three consecutive years, unless voted in. The six nominees are all eligible in the Hall of Fame’s Player Category for the Class of 2022. This is not an eligibility year for the Hall of Fame’s Contributor or Wheelchair Categories, which are considered every four years.
Now that the ballot is set, the International Tennis Hall of Fame’s Fan Voting will open on Friday, 15 October on vote.tennisfame.com, providing the opportunity for tennis fans around the world to voice their support for who they think should become Hall of Famers. Additionally, voting by the Official Voting Group of journalists, historians, and existing Hall of Famers will take place in the coming months. Election into the Hall of Fame is determined by the combination of results from Fan Voting and the Official Voting Group and is further detailed below.
“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. We are glad to provide Fan Voting as an opportunity for fans to have a say. Additionally, the geographic diversity of the candidates on this year’s ballot clearly showcases the global popularity of our sport. It is not realistic to think that tennis fans all over the world will be able to come to Newport to celebrate the greats in person, but through Fan Voting, fans can still participate and advocate for those they deem deserving of tennis’ ultimate honour,” said Todd Martin, CEO of the International Tennis Hall of Fame.
FAN VOTING & THE INDUCTION PROCESS
The International Tennis Hall of Fame’s Fan Vote will run 15 – 31 October. The top-three vote getters in the Fan Vote will 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.
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 in 75% or higher from the combined total of their Official Voting Group result and any bonus percentage points earned in the Fan Vote.
The results of the ITHF Fan Vote will be announced at the conclusion of the voting period. The Official Voting Group vote will be tabulated in the coming months, and the Class of 2022 Inductees will be announced in early 2022 with the Induction Ceremony slated to take place 16, July 2022.
ABOUT THE 2021 NOMINEES
The International Tennis Hall of Fame’s Player Category recognises ATP and WTA players who have achieved a distinguished record of competitive achievement at the highest international level.
Carlos Moya, of Spain, achieved the world No.1 ranking, and spent more than 200 weeks inside the world top-10. Moya was the French Open Champion in 1998, and a finalist at the Australian Open in 1997. Additionally, Moya 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.
Juan Carlos Ferrero, also of Spain, reached his first major final at Roland-Garros in 2002, upsetting then world No. 4 Andre Agassi and No. 2 Marat Safin en route. He fell in the final to compatriot Albert Costa. Ferrero returned to the final one year later, winning the 2003 Roland-Garros title. Later that year, Ferrero reached the final of the US Open. His success in 2003 propelled him to the world No. 1 ranking, and he spent 139 weeks inside the world top-5. In 2000, Ferrero became a hero of the first-ever Spanish Davis Cup championship team when he won the final point in Barcelona against Australia.
Serbian Ana Ivanovic 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. Ivanovic was ranked world No. 1 and spent 91 weeks inside the world top-5. In addition to the Roland-Garros trophy, Ivanovic won 14 career titles, including 3 WTA Premier Mandatory titles. Ivanovic came of age in Serbia as the nation was emerging from the breakup of Yugoslavia, with her early training taking place in very challenging conditions. She went on to represent Serbia in Fed Cup competition for nine years, including a run into the finals in 2012. Ivanovic is the first Serbian to be nominated for the International Tennis Hall of Fame.
Italy’s Flavia Pennetta claimed the US Open trophy in 2015, defeating her compatriot and childhood friend Roberta Vinci in the first ever all-Italian major final. Pennetta won an additional 10 singles titles in her career and reached 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 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.
Cara Black of Zimbabwe, was a world No. 1 doubles player and predominantly a doubles specialist throughout her WTA career, winning 60 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 a achieved a career Grand Slam in mixed doubles. Black hails from a tennis family, and she partnered with her brother Wayne for two of her mixed doubles major titles.
American Lisa Raymond won 11 major titles with six different partners over the course of her career. Raymond won six major titles in women’s doubles, where she has 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 United States Fed Cup team. Raymond was ranked world No. 1 in doubles for 137 weeks and reached a career high of world No. 15 in singles. She won 79 career doubles titles. Raymond’s path to the WTA Tour came after great success at the collegiate level. As a member of the University of Florida women’s tennis team, Raymond won the NCAA singles title twice and led the team to their first national championship.