Former WTA Tour world No. 1 Justine Henin, who won seven Grand Slam singles titles, and Marat Safin, a two-time major champion and former ATP World Tour world No. 1 have been elected into the International Tennis Hall of Fame.
Henin is the first Belgian inductee to the Hall of Fame and Safin is the first Russian player to be inducted. Since 1955, the honor of Hall of Fame induction has been awarded to 243 tennis champions and leaders representing 21 nations.
“It is a pleasure to announce the induction of Justine Henin and Marat Safin into the International Tennis Hall of Fame. Justine and Marat committed themselves to the sport and worked relentlessly at being champions of the highest caliber. As a result, they achieved extraordinary careers with world No. 1 rankings and Grand Slam tournament victories. They led their nations to victories in Fed Cup and Davis Cup. They are rightfully a source of national pride in Belgium and Russia, and we are looking forward to welcoming them as the very first Hall of Fame inductees from those nations,” said Stan Smith, who was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1987 and now serves as the International Tennis Hall of Fame President and Chairman of the Enshrinee Nominating Committee.
Of the induction, Justine Henin stated, “It’s a big honor. I was five years old when I started playing tennis and my dream was to become a champion. All of the things that then happened- all the dreams that came true, all the victories and Grand Slams, and every emotion that I lived in my tennis career remains something very important in my life today. Being part of the Hall of Fame says that it will remain something forever, and that is very special. I am really honored.”
Marat Safin commented, “I’m very happy to be inducted to the Hall of Fame. I want to say thank you to everyone who helped me and supported me throughout my tennis career. To be part of a Hall of Fame is every athlete’s dream. I am really honored to be inducted and proud to represent Russian tennis alongside the greatest champions of tennis history.”
Also joining the Class of 2016: Yvon Petra and Margaret Scriven were posthumously elected in the master player category.
The Class of 2016 Induction Ceremony will be held on Saturday, July 16, 2016 at the International Tennis Hall of Fame in Newport, Rhode Island.
