Defending Champion Ivo Karlovic, two-time champions John Isner and Rajeev Ram, and Sam Querrey, who was a finalist in 2009, are the first four players to commit to the player field for the 2017 Dell Technologies Hall of Fame Open. The four players have a strong history at Newport’s annual ATP World Tour stop, having collectively appeared in six of the eight finals since 2009, and winning 5 singles titles among them in that time.
The annual event, which draws top tennis players from around the world to compete on the historic grass courts of the International Tennis Hall of Fame, will be hosted July 16 – 23, immediately following Wimbledon. This year marks a new era in the event’s 40+ year history, as it will be the first of a multi-year title sponsorship by Dell Technologies. A unique hallmark of the tournament is that it is hosted in conjunction with the annual International Tennis Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony, which will see former world No. 1’s Andy Roddick and Kim Clijsters among those going into the Hall of Fame this year.
“We have a really exciting week and a unique lineup of events for tennis fans to look forward to this summer,” commented Tournament Director and ITHF CEO Todd Martin. “Americans John Isner, Rajeev Ram, and Sam Querrey consistently deliver exciting grass court tennis for the fans at our event, and it will be great to have them all back in the mix this year. In addition, they all came up through the ranks when incoming Hall of Famer Andy Roddick was a top player, and quite likely an inspiration to them, so it will be great to have them all in Newport for this special week.
He continued, “We are also looking forward to welcoming back our defending champion Ivo Karlovic, who has had tremendous success in Newport in recent years and has become quite a fan favorite for our tournament. All is shaping up well for a fantastic week at the inaugural Dell Technologies Hall of Fame Open.”
Ivo Karlovic, who hails from Croatia, is currently ranked world No. 22 in the Emirates ATP Rankings. He holds the all-time record for career aces in ATP World Tour history, at 11,856 and climbing. Last year, Karlovic captured the Newport title over Gilles Muller in a thrilling comeback, erasing three championship points while being down a set. This will mark Karlovic’s fifth consecutive appearance in Newport (7 years overall), where he has made three consecutive finals and reached the quarterfinals in 2013.
This summer will be the eighth appearance for John Isner at the Hall of Fame tournament, where he won the title in 2011 and 2012, and was a semifinalist in 2013. Isner has been a leading American player in recent years and is currently ranked world No. 23 in the Emirates ATP Rankings. This season on tour, Isner has reached the quarterfinals in New Zealand, the round of 64 at the Australian Open and the Round of 32 at the BNP Paribas Open.
Rajeev Ram returns to Newport for his 10th appearance, this time as an Olympic medalist, having won the Silver Medal in Mixed Doubles with partner Venus Williams last summer in Rio de Janeiro. Ram’s Newport singles record is an impressive 17-6 with two singles titles, as well as a doubles title in his name. In 2017, Ram has built upon his doubles resume, claiming victories at the BNP Paribas Open and Delray Beach Open with Raven Klaasen.
Current world No. 28 Sam Querrey won his ninth ATP World Tour title this year with his victory at the Abierto Mexicano Telcel in Acapulco. This summer will be Querrey’s fourth appearance in Newport, where he was a finalist in 2009.
Tickets for all sessions of the Dell Technologies Hall of Fame Open are on sale now on HallofFameOpen.com. Special events throughout the week include junior tennis clinics, the Alex and Ani Ladies Day Runway Show, AARP Day, the ITHF Class of 2017 Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony on July 22, and PowerShares Legends Newport, a one-day tournament featuring Andy Roddick, James Blake, Mardy Fish, and Jim Courier on July 23.
