The International Tennis Hall of Fame induction ceremony takes place this weekend in Newport, Rhode Island, honouring Maria Sharapova and Bob and Mike Bryan as the Class of 2025 inductees.
Sharapova, a five-time major singles champion, is one of only 10 women in the Open era to complete the career Grand Slam. The Bryan brothers, meanwhile, are celebrated as the most successful doubles team in history, winning 119 titles together.
They join an exclusive group of 267 inductees from 28 countries recognised for their contributions to the sport.
On this week’s episode of The Sit-Down podcast, Patrick McEnroe, president of the International Tennis Hall of Fame, reflected on the organisation’s mission to preserve tennis’ legacy and inspire future generations.
“To honour the history of the game, honour the traditions of the game, and certainly the legends of the game – that’s our mission,” said the former Davis Cup captain.
“But what we are really trying to ramp up is how we can inspire people around the world, particularly kids, to use tennis to inspire themselves to become the best they can be.”
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The ITHF museum in Newport recently reopened after renovations, debuting new interactive spaces for visitors to enjoy. McEnroe and his team are constantly exploring fresh ways to share tennis’ stories through its exhibits.
“I’ve said to my colleagues, ‘We should do something that celebrates the great tennis clubs in the world,’ because I’ve been lucky enough to have been to a lot of them,” he said.
“I think that is also a rich part of the history of tennis, which to me makes it really unique.”
The former world No.28 is passionate about uncovering the sport’s evolution and sharing it with the next generation.
“What I love most about it is to see the history of the game – how the game started, the balls they used, the racquets.
“I love learning about that stuff, and I think people like that. It’s fun to see.”
Beyond its physical presence in Newport, the Hall of Fame is also working to expand its digital and social reach.
“The beautiful thing about our sport is its international nature and community,” McEnroe said. “Any way we can celebrate that beyond the obvious – the majors and the great players – is part of the tennis tradition.”
Celebrations for the ITHF induction weekend) include arts and cultural festivities, live podcast recordings, Hall of Fame Q&A sessions, the Celebrity Pro Classic tournament, and a concert by Fitz and the Tantrums.
Fans can watch the induction ceremony live at www.tennischannel.com