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International Tennis Hall of Fame Unveils Multi-Million Dollar Museum Upgrades

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The International Tennis Hall of Fame (ITHF) reopened its Museum following a multimillion-dollar renovation and unveiled a new symbol to define Hall of Fame membership for years to come. The transformation honors the sport’s history, celebrates the legacies of its champions and contributors and redefines the guest experience with new state-of-the-art technology.

The Museum renovations were highlighted by the reimagining of the Hall of Famers Gallery and the Celebration Gallery, two areas that celebrate the sport’s history and take visitors on an immersive journey through the decades. The Hall of Famers Gallery is a unique space honoring every Hall of Famer who has received the ultimate honor in tennis with a new symbol of induction: a cast racquet. The Celebration Gallery, through unique artifacts, tells the stories of how each generation inspired the next and showcases the Inspirational Legacies AR Experience, an augmented reality sculpture engaging fans of all ages.
“We are ecstatic to unveil these innovative, interactive spaces in the Museum and are grateful to those who partnered with us to preserve the history of the game and accomplish these renovations,” said Dan Faber, Chief Executive Officer, ITHF. “We cannot wait to welcome fans from around the world to Newport and our facility to celebrate tennis history and honor some of the sport’s most transformative champions.”

The ITHF held a press conference and ribbon cutting ceremony today with Hall of Famers, donors, sponsors and local and state government officials, including Governor Dan McKee, in attendance.

The project was funded by a portion of the $12M Tennis Forever Capital Campaign, which began in 2018; these were the first renovations to the Museum at the International Tennis Hall of Fame since 2015.

Additional areas updated include:
• The Majors, presented by Rolex, an interactive journey through the majors narrated by Roger Federer.
• The Newport Tennis Traditions Gallery, celebrating the origins of tennis in Newport and its connection to the US Open, featuring the US Open trophies.
• The opening of a Legends Lounge, a space for donors and Hall of Famers to gather while in Newport.
• An updated Welcome Center, newly renovated Bellevue Boutique and new Museum Store.
• A renovated Court Tennis Viewing Gallery, which details the history and development of racquet sports and overlooks one of just 49 court tennis facilities worldwide.

As part of the ITHF’s goal to display unique and contemporary items that represent tennis history in the making, some of the magnificent artifacts that will be shown to guests in the reimagined Celebration Gallery include:

• A “Statement CoolMax” shirt and shorts worn by eight-time Major winner Andre Agassi.
• Madison Keys’ outfit from her maiden major singles title earlier this year at the Australian Open.
• Jannik Sinner’s racquet from the 2024 US Open Men’s Singles Championship where he won his second major.
• Umpire’s scorecard from the 1968 match between Rod Laver and Ken Rosewall at the first-ever Open Era tournament.

The Hall of Famers Gallery will feature a Class of 2025 tribute exhibit from this year’s inductees, Maria Sharapova and Bob and Mike Bryan. Sharapova and the Bryan Brothers will be honored during an Induction Celebration taking place the weekend August 21-23, 2025. Tickets are available now at tennisfame.com.

Sharapova’s dresses from her 2004 Wimbledon, 2006 US Open and 2012 Roland-Garros titles will all be on display, along with her iconic “Lemon Frost” colorway from her semifinal appearance at Roland-Garros in 2011.

Artifacts from the Bryan brothers’ legendary careers that are on display include their Men’s Doubles Championship trophies from the 2013 Australian Open, 2013 Roland-Garros, 2013 Wimbledon, 2012 US Open and 2003 Roland-Garros. The 2012 London Olympics Gold Medal will also be available for guests to view as this accomplishment completed their Career Golden Slam.

The Museum at the International Tennis Hall of Fame is open seven days a week (Closed Thanksgiving and Christmas Day) from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. To purchase tickets and find more information, visit: https://www.tennisfame.com/.

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International Tennis Hall of Fame To Refurbish, Modernize Museum Exhibit In Newport

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The International Tennis Hall of Fame (ITHF) announced a multimillion dollar museum transformation project on the historic property in Newport, RI. The renovations will provide fans with a more interactive and modern experience which preserves and promotes the sport’s history. The Hall of Fame will also introduce new features and physical spaces to celebrate legends and support the sport’s growth. 

The ITHF announced in a press conference that Advent, a Nashville-based experiential design firm, was selected to lead the renovations, after a highly competitive nationwide RFP process. 

“We are very honored to accomplish this for the Hall of Fame,” said Dan Faber, CEO of the International Tennis Hall of Fame. “We want to preserve what’s already out there with the incredible history of tennis but to prepare for global eyes to be a part of this in Newport. It’s perfect timing with this era of who is going to be inducted over the next five years or so in tennis.” 

“It’s a privilege to be entrusted with a story like this,” said Reese Stevens, Director of Conceptual Design, Advent. “It has been great for Advent to be included in this and we still have a ways to go but very much looking forward to the grand reopening in May 2025. 

This will be the first museum renovation the Hall of Fame has undertaken since 2015; work includes:

  • A new Hall of Famers’ Gallery The Current USTA Wing will become the new Hall of Famers’ Gallery; each Hall of Famer will be represented by a new cast racquet, signifying their legendary place in tennis history
  • The Celebration Gallery, a space celebrating the sport of tennis through the stories of its legends, across generations. The area includes a new Augmented Reality Sculpture to engage fans of all ages
  • The Roger Federer Hologram will be a new immersive experience presented by Rolex
  • The creation of a Newport Tennis Traditions gallery, celebrating Newport’s tennis origins and a new display for the perpetual US Open trophies
  • The opening of a Hall of Famers’ Lounge, an event space designed for inductees and guests
  • The opening of a new Museum Retail footprint with bespoke, commemorative items
  • A reimagined Welcome Center and new visitor exit, allowing for better guest flow

Beginning with the Class of 2025 Induction, all Hall of Famers past-and-future will receive a cast racquet as a symbol of receiving the ultimate honor in tennis. Racquets will be on display in the new Hall of Famers’ Gallery. Further, as the Hall of Fame works to preserve tennis history as it happens, these renovations will enable a wider variety of recent acquisitions from current stars and Hall of Famers to be on display simultaneously.

The press conference was held in the USTA Wing of the ITHF Museum with Dan Faber, ITHF CEO; Pat McEnroe, ITHF President and Julianna Barbieri, ITHF SVP of Content & Partnerships joined by project principals from Advent, Reese Stevens, Director of Conceptual Design and Mindy Ward, Director of Client Success. Renovations will begin in November, with the museum closed to the public until planned reopening in May 2025. The renovation is being funded by a portion of the Tennis Forever Capital Campaign, which began in 2018

Rendering of modernized International Tennis Hall of Fame