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Vijay Amritraj, Leander Paes and Richard Evans Inducted Into International Tennis Hall of Fame

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JULY 20, 2024, NEWPORT, R.I, U.S.A., – One of the greatest doubles players of all-time, Leander Paes, along with two tennis visionaries Vijay Amritraj and Richard Evans were formally inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame tonight. Paes and Amritraj became the first two Indians and Asian men bestowed with tennis’ Ultimate Honor, while Evans was revered for his prolific storytelling and historic efforts growing the sport.   Family, friends, fans, and fellow Hall of Famers from around the globe joined together to celebrate Paes, Amritraj and Evans for their instrumental contributions to tennis over the past half century. Paes was inducted in the Player Category, while Amritraj and Evans were recognized as a part of the Contributor Category: honoring visionary leaders, pioneers, or individuals who have made a consummate impact on the sport. The three inductees brings the total to 267 legends from 28 nations represented in the Hall of Fame.   2024 Induction Ceremony - Leander, Richard, Vijay Hall of Fame Weekend Photos   Widely regarded as one of the top doubles players in the history of the sport, Paes is an 18-time Grand Slam champion with eight doubles titles and 10 in mixed doubles. Paes spent 37 weeks at No. 1 in the world rankings in doubles, and won 54 doubles titles on tour. He is one of only three men in tennis history to capture a career Grand Slam in both disciplines. A legend in his home country, Paes competed in seven straight Olympic Games, the most in tennis history, and is India’s only Olympic medalist in tennis, claiming bronze in singles at the 1996 Summer Olympics.   In a press conference earlier this week, Paes reflected on the impact of legacy in his life, “A few of us are very blessed to be born into legacy. Today sitting here at the International Tennis Hall of Fame, I wouldn’t have ever dreamt it, playing street cricket and street football barefoot back in Calcutta back in India, said Paes. “I am so excited to share this with all of you, representing every young boy and girl around the planet who has a dream in their mind, passion in their hearts and fire in their belly.”   Tennis icon and Hall of Famer in the Class of 2000, Martina Navratilova introduced Paes tonight and said, “I think Leander played tennis how most of us would like to play and the fun really starts when he comes to the net. He has reflexes like a leopard and runs every ball down if he can and if he can’t he dives for it. The passion the man has for the sport is indescribable.”   “It is my greatest honor to not only be on this stage with these legends of the game, but people who have inspired me every single day of my life,” said Paes. It’s not because you’ve all won Grand Slams, not because you’ve shaped the world of our sport, but every single one of these people shaped the world that we live in. I would like to thank you all so much for giving this Indian boy hope.”
Leander Paes
Amritraj joined the ATP Tour in 1970, immediately popularizing the sport in India and all of Asia. A key player on India’s Davis Cup squad over the years, Amritraj led his country to its two Finals appearances in 1974 and 1987. After his retirement, Amritraj has become the face of tennis broadcasting in Asia and the Middle East, aiding the expansion of professional tennis in his beloved home country. In 2001, Amritraj became the first Indian to serve as United Nations Messenger of Peace. Furthering his off-court contributions, he launched the Vijay Amritraj Foundation in 2006, providing education and basic needs for women and children in India’s most disadvantaged communities.   “To all my dear friends from far and wide who have come here to spend and share this evening with us, my grateful thanks,” said Amritraj. “To my fellow Indians in India and around the world I can’t thank you enough. You welcomed me to your homes to the big cities to the small towns and your growth was my growth alongside India’s growth. You shared my joy and sorrows with me.”   Amritraj discussed the incredible impact his parents had on his life, “These two ordinary people did extraordinary things with my life. They dreamt the impossible, flying blind and set me on a journey that would get me here to the ultimate honor in tennis. An impossible life story of a boy from 1950’s Chennai. They are watching from above with my mom saying I told you so.”
Vijay Amritraj
Evans has been a renowned voice on tennis history for over six decades, having covered over 200 Grand Slams and professional tournaments. An essential figure in journalism, Evans has been a reporter from everything to politics, history and sports. Evans has also played an essential role in amplifying tennis, as he has written 23 books on Open Era tennis, the Davis Cup and biographies on some of the sport’s most iconic names. Evans helped with the development of the ATP Tour in the Open Era, serving an array of leadership positions and was a founding member and former President of the International Tennis Writers’ Association.    Evans looked back on his journey to becoming a Hall of Famer, “It is a cliché, but life is all about timing, isn’t it? It’s everything. This story would not have happened if it had happened a day earlier, or a day later. I was demobbed as we say in Britain from the British army– I served two years national service. My previous employer had got me a job on the London Evening Standard, and I was to be the rugby and rowing correspondent. They had to find someone to write up Althea Gibson’s copy on the Monday at Wimbledon. As I walked in he pointed to me, “Give him to Althea [Gibson]. You would never see me here if he never said those words.” “It has been a long journey and I wish I had time to tell you all the great tennis writers I’ve written with in press boxes around the world,” said Evans. “All writers should use their talent to write about tennis as it’s a sport that needs to be promoted at a level and written about with as much talent, style, enthusiasm and passion as those of us that love the sport.”
Richard Evans Prior to the ceremony, Paes, Amritraj, and Evans received their signature Hall of Fame Brooks Brothers blazers, and were recognized after the ceremony at the official Induction Celebration presented by Infosys.

Vijay Amritraj, Leander Paes and Richards Evans Elected To International Tennis Hall of Fame

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Racquet_divider Class of 2024   DECEMBER 13, 2023, NEWPORT, R.I., U.S.A. – Former doubles world No. 1 Leander Paes, broadcaster and promoter Vijay Amritraj, and renowned journalist and writer Richard Evans have been elected to receive the Ultimate Honor in Tennis – induction into the International Tennis Hall of Fame.   Amritraj and Paes become the first two Indians to receive tennis’ Ultimate Honor, and the first Asian men to be elected in their respective categories. Paes, an 18-time Grand Slam champion in doubles and mixed doubles, has been selected in the Player Category. Amritraj and the United Kingdom’s Evans are inductees in the Contributor Category, which is considered for election every two years. The Contributor Category recognizes true pioneers, visionary leaders, or individuals/groups who have made a transcendent impact on the sport.   The Class of 2024 will be officially inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame on Saturday, July 20, 2024 in Newport, Rhode Island, U.S.A. Paes, Amritraj and Evans will join an elite group of 264 inductees from 27 nations – with India set to become the 28th nation represented in the Hall of Fame.   “I am thrilled to congratulate Leander Paes, Vijay Amritraj, and Richard Evans on their election to the International Tennis Hall of Fame,” said Hall of Fame President and Class of 2017 inductee Kim Clijsters. “These three legends have served as trailblazers in their impact on tennis, and in spreading the sport worldwide. We are excited to celebrate the Class of 2024 in the coming year.”   Tickets for the 2024 Induction Ceremony and full Enshrinement Weekend experiences will go on sale in March. Fans can learn more about Enshrinement Weekend offerings and subscribe for updates at tennisfame.com/enshrinement.   Text Box:   ABOUT THE INDUCTEES & REACTION
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“It has been my life’s honor to play for my country for over three decades in a sport that has given and taught me everything,” said Paes. “This acknowledgment is indeed the ultimate accolade for every tennis player. Induction into the International Tennis Hall of Fame belongs not just to me, but to our billion-plus Indians. Receiving this honor culminates a professional journey of a lifetime, standing on the shoulders of greats and sets the tone for other youngsters in Asia and around the world.”   During his three-decade career, Leander Paes topped the world rankings in doubles and won 18 Grand Slam titles. With eight doubles Grand Slam titles and 10 in mixed doubles, he is one of only three men in tennis history to capture a career Grand Slam in both disciplines. Paes is tied with his former partner, Hall of Famer Martina Navratilova, for the most mixed doubles major titles in history. Additionally, he and Hall of Famer Martina Hingis are one of only two mixed doubles teams in the Open Era to complete a career Grand Slam together. In a testament to his longevity at the sport’s height, Paes spent a total of 462 weeks inside the ATP doubles top 10, including 37 weeks at No. 1, and won 55 doubles titles on tour.   Paes proudly represented India in international competition for 30 years, winning a Davis Cup record 45 doubles rubbers during his career. He competed in a record seven consecutive Olympic Games, the most in tennis history, and is India’s only Olympic medalist in tennis, capturing bronze in singles at the 1996 Atlanta Games. Earlier this year, fans around the globe cast their ballots and elected Paes as the winner of the Hall of Fame’s annual Fan Vote for induction.   Vijay-Class-2024 “This is truly a blessing, and an honor to be included in the history of tennis, among the greats who have played and served the sport,” said Amritraj. “Acknowledging the culmination of a career that started with illness and now to be inducted in the International Tennis Hall of Fame, is making impossible dreams come true. It is a gift from above for me and my family and an honor for India.”   Since becoming a globally-known name as an athlete in the 1970s and 1980s, Amritraj has used his profile to spread the sport of tennis throughout India and the Asian continent. Amritraj’s trailblazing success on the ATP Tour popularized the sport and inspired a generation of new players. Amritraj was one of India’s greatest players in the Open Era, anchoring India’s Davis Cup squad to its only two Finals appearances in 1974 and 1987; in 1974, he played a key role in India’s boycott of the Final against South Africa to demonstrate against Apartheid.   Post-retirement, Amritraj has become the face of tennis broadcasting in Asia and the Middle East, sharing the sport with millions during the Grand Slams. As an administrator, he has helped to expand professional tennis’ presence in India, including the ATP Chennai Open, WTA’s Chennai Open and two ATP Challenger events. Amritraj has consistently worked to advance humanitarian causes and the greater good. In 2001, he became the first Indian to serve as United Nations Messenger of Peace. Since 2006, the Vijay Amritraj Foundation has provided education, and basic needs for women and children in India’s neediest communities.   Richard Evans-Class-2024 “Being recognized as having done something useful by one’s peers is always a great honor,” said Evans. “It has also been such a pleasure to have spent a large part of my career writing about such a fabulous sport alongside players and fellow journalists whose talent I have admired.”   For over six decades, Evans has been a preeminent voice on tennis as a journalist and historian. Since Wimbledon in 1960, he has reported on over 200 Grand Slams and numerous other tournaments. His observations on the sport and its players during watershed growth have resulted in 23 books authored over the course of his career. Including anthologies on Open tennis, the Davis Cup, biographies on some of tennis’ most legendary names, and more, Evans’ books stand the test of time as invaluable, insightful, and comprehensive resources. Evans is one of the founding members of the International Tennis Writers’ Association and served as its president from 2001-04.   Evans was a key player in the ATP Tour’s growth in the early Open Era. In 1973, following the Wimbledon boycott, he became the organization’s first press officer. From 1974-77, Evans served as ATP European Director in Paris, tasked with the job of persuading traditional amateur Tournament Directors throughout Europe to professionalize their events and treat players as professionals. In 1977, he was voted onto the ATP Board of Directors for two years. During this time, Evans was instrumental in conceptualizing and proposing the creation of ATP University for players embarking on professional careers and helped implement the program in 1980.
Text Box:
The Class of 2024 will be inducted Saturday, July 20, 2024 at the International Tennis Hall of Fame in Newport, Rhode Island during Enshrinement Weekend celebrations. Full weekend packages and a la carte tickets for the Induction Ceremony and other events will go on sale in spring 2024. Fans can subscribe now for updates at tennisfame.com/enshrinement.