The International Tennis Hall of Fame’s annual Induction Ceremony will take place on Saturday, July 18, with celebratory events scheduled for the whole weekend, including a Hall of Fame ring presentation to Billie Jean King and an Exhibition Match featuring Marion Bartoli.
The International Tennis Hall of Fame is set to celebrate the annual presentation of tennis’ highest honor, Hall of Fame induction, with a star-studded, event-packed Rolex Hall of Fame Enshrinement Weekend, July 17 – 19 in Newport, Rhode Island.
Hall of Famers Billie Jean King, Stan Smith, Pam Shriver, Gigi Fernandez, Rosie Casals, and Owen Davidson, along with 2013 Wimbledon champion Marion Bartoli and ESPN’s Patrick McEnroe will be among the tennis stars scheduled to participate in the induction festivities, which will honor former world No. 1 Amelie Mauresmo of France, 6-time Paralympic champion David Hall of Australia, and longtime tennis industry leader Nancy Jeffett.
The highlight of the weekend will be the Class of 2015 Induction Ceremony, which will take place on Saturday, July 18 at 12 pm on Bill Talbert Center Court at the International Tennis Hall of Fame. The ceremony will be broadcast on Tennis Channel.
Inductee Amelie Mauresmo will not be in attendance for the Induction Ceremony, as she will be in her third trimester of pregnancy and unable to travel. She will still be inducted as part of the Class of 2015 and will be honored with a tribute exhibit in the museum at the Hall of Fame, with further celebration of her achievement to be planned for a future date.
During the ceremony, Pam Shriver will introduce Nancy Jeffett, who is being inducted in recognition of her lifetime of contributions to grow the sport around the world, particularly in the areas of youth tennis and the early development of the WTA. Australian wheelchair tennis champion David Hall will be presented for induction by his longtime coach Rich Berman.
Billie Jean King Billie Jean King will be honored at the ceremony with a special presentation of her official Hall of Fame ring. King, a 39-time major tournament champion and one of the sport’s most impactful leaders on and off the court, was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1987. The Hall of Fame rings were introduced in 2011, and in recent years the Hall of Fame has been honoring the inductees by presentation of their official ring at a place that has special meaning for the Hall of Famer.
An array of special events round out the weekend. Marion Bartoli, Gigi Fernandez, and Patrick McEnroe will be back in action on the grass courts in the Hall of Fame Exhibition Match on Sunday, and the Brooks Brothers Lunch with Legends on Sunday offer fans a chance to mix and mingle with their favorite tennis legends (details below). Tickets for the induction weekend festivities include seats for the Hall of Fame Tennis Championships, an ATP World Tour event hosted at the Hall of Fame at the same time.
Details and ways to get involved in Rolex Hall of Fame Enshrinement Weekend events are as follows:
Class of 2015 Induction Ceremony
Saturday, July 18, 12 pm
Featuring Hall of Fame Ring Ceremony for Billie Jean King
The highest honor in tennis, induction into the International Tennis Hall of Fame, will be presented in a grand ceremony, with Hall of Famer Pam Shriver introducing tennis industry leader Nancy Jeffett, and 6-time Paralympic champion David Hall being presented by his coach, Rick Berman. A highlight of the ceremony will be the presentation of a Hall of Fame ring for Billie Jean King
Hall of Fame Exhibition Match
Featuring Marion Bartoli, Gigi Fernandez, Patrick McEnroe – Sunday, July 19, 12:30 pm
An exhibition match set for Sunday morning will keep the festivities going, seeing several tennis legends back in action. 2013 Wimbledon Champion Marion Bartoli, Hall of Famer Gigi Fernandez, and ESPN’s Patrick McEnroe are set to compete in the mixed doubles exhibition, with a fourth player to be named. Tickets for the exhibition match are included with that day’s tournament ticket for the finals of the Hall of Fame Tennis Championships.
Brooks Brothers Lunch with Legends – Sunday, July 19, 11 am
The Brooks Brothers Lunch with Legends offers fans a chance to enjoy tennis talk with the Hall of Famers and lunch overlooking the beautiful grounds of the International Tennis Hall of Fame. The lunch precedes the finals of the Hall of Fame Tennis Championships.
Hall of Fame Tennis Championships & Special Weekend Ticket Packages available!
The Hall of Fame Tennis Championships, the first stop of the summer season for the ATP World Tour in the United States, will be hosted at the Hall of Fame in conjunction with the weekend. Two-time champion John Isner will return to compete in Newport, along with Jack Sock, Ivo Karlovic, Nicolas Mahut, and other top stars from around the world. Tickets for Saturday, July 18 include access to the Induction Ceremony and the tournament semifinal matches. Tickets for Sunday, July 19 include access to the exhibition match and the tournament finals.
Special weekend ticket packages including tickets for both days are available on HallofFameTennisChampionships.com
