International Tennis Hall of Fame facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
International Tennis Hall of Fame

The Newport Casino, home to the International Tennis Hall of Fame
Established	1880 1954 (Hall of fame and museum)
Location	Newport, Rhode Island
Type	Professional sports hall of fame; museum
Founder	James J. Van Alen

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, grass tennis courts, an indoor tennis facility, and a court tennis (or real tennis) facility.

History

Inner courtyard

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 Tennis Hall of Fame and Museum in the Casino. The combination of tennis matches and the museum allowed the building to be saved.

Entrance from Bellevue Avenue

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. It was recognized by the International Tennis Federation in 1986. The first Hall of Fame members were inducted in 1955; as of 2017, a total of 252 inductees from 23 countries have been recognized.

In 2015, Martina Hingis was appointed as the first Global Ambassador for the International Tennis Hall of Fame. The current Board of Governors includes former professional tennis players Todd Martin, Stan Smith and Katrina Adams.

Collection

The museum houses a large collection of artifacts and memorabilia – including videos, photographs, audio recordings, tennis equipment and apparel, trophies, and art – highlighting the history of tennis from its origins up through the modern era. The collection is displayed year-round in the museum's 13,000 square feet (1,200 m²) of exhibit space.

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

Hall of Fame Tennis Championships

The Hall of Fame hosts several tournaments, including the Hall of Fame Tennis Championships. 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, and Mardy Fish, as well as two-time champion Fabrice Santoro of France.

Members

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	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
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"	United States ( 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, Andres	Spain	Master Player	2009
Gonzales, Richard "Pancho"	United States	Player	1968
Goolagong Cawley, Evonne	Australia	Recent Player	1988
Gore, Arthur	Great Britain	Master Player	2006
Graf, Stefanie "Steffi"	Germany	Recent Player	2004
Grant, Bryan "Bitsy"	United States	Master Player	1972
Hackett, Harold	United States	Player	1961
Hall, David	Australia	Recent Player	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
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
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	Recent Player	2017
Kodeš, Jan	Czechoslovakia	Recent Player	1990
Koželuh, Karel	Czechoslovakia	Master Player	2006
Krahwinkel Sperling, Hilde	Germany/ 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
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	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
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
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/ 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	Recent Player	2012
Stich, Michael	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	Recent Player	2014
Vilas, Guillermo	Argentina	Recent Player	1991
Vines, Henry Ellsworth	United States	Player	1962
von Cramm, Gottfried	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"	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 after being convicted of child sexual offences.

Contributor category

Name	Life span	Nationality	Year inducted	Ref.
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–	United States	2014
Braden, Vic	1929–2014	United States	2017
Brown Grimes, Jane	1941–	United States	2014
Buchholz Jr., Earl	1940–	United States	2005
Chatrier, Philippe	1926–2000	France	1992
Clerici, Gianni	1930–	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–	Great Britain (Wales)	2012
David, Herman	1905–1974	Great Britain	1998
Dell, Donald	1937–	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
Ţiriac, Ion	1939–	Romania	2013
Tobin, Brian	1930–	Australia	2003
Van Alen, James	1902–1991	United States	1965
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	5
Sweden
Argentina	2
Belgium
Brazil
Italy
Netherlands
Romania
Russia
South Africa
Belarus	1
China
Egypt
Ireland
Mexico
New Zealand
Norway
Peru
Puerto Rico
Switzerland
// Yugoslavia/Serbia

Images for kids

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  The entrance to the International Tennis Hall of Fame (2021)

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  The Newport Casino, home to the ITHF (2021)