NEWS –Paes, Amritraj Inducted into Hall of Fame. Indian Tennis Greats First Asian Men to Get the Honour

LEANDER PAES, RICHARD EVANS, AND VIJAY AMRITRAJ

• Induction Ceremony: Held at the International Tennis Hall of Fame in Newport, Rhode Island.
• Significance: Leander Paes and Vijay Amritraj are the first Asian men to be inducted.
• Additional Inductee: British tennis journalist and author Richard Evans.

Leander Paes

• Background: Former doubles world number one.
• Career Transition: Started with football and hockey before switching to tennis.
• Family Legacy: Followed his hockey-captain father as an Olympic medalist.

Vijay Amritraj

• Career Span: Played from 1970 to 1993.
• Achievements:
  • Won 15 ATP singles titles.
  • Achieved a career-high ranking of 18th in the world.
  • Helped India reach the Davis Cup finals in 1974 and 1987.
• Post-Retirement:
  • Involved in humanitarian causes.
  • Supported ATP and WTA events in India.
  • Acted in James Bond and Star Trek movies.

Richard Evans

• Induction Category: Contributor.
• Impact: Recognized for his significant contributions to the sport of tennis through journalism and authorship.

INTERNATIONAL TENNIS HALL OF FAME

Overview

• Location: Newport, Rhode Island, United States.
• Purpose: Honors players and contributors to the sport of tennis.
• Facilities: Includes a museum, grass tennis courts, indoor and outdoor courts, and a theatre.
• Goal: To preserve, celebrate, and inspire the sport of tennis globally.

Official Recognition and Expansion

• First Inductees: In 1955.
• International Recognition: Became the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 1975.
• Current Status: As of 2023, 262 inductees from 27 countries.
• Global Ambassadors: Notable ambassadors include Martina Hingis, Guga Kuerten, and Michael Chang.

Museum

• Chronicles: The history of tennis from the 12th century to modern day.
• Collection:
  • Approximately 30,000 objects.
  • Artifacts from Hall of Famers, trophies, textiles, and more.
• Information Research Center (IRC):
  • Houses books, audio-visual materials, photographic images, and archival materials.
• Exhibition Space:
  • 13,000 square feet of exhibit space.
  • Offers digital exhibits.
• Renovation: Reopened in May 2015 with redesigned interactive exhibits and artifacts.
• Accreditations:
  • Accredited by the American Alliance of Museums in 2013 and 2022.
  • Became a Smithsonian Affiliate in 2017.
• Partnerships: Partner of the Google Arts & Culture initiative.