On Saturday, July 18, former world No. 1 Amelie Mauresmo of France, 6-time Paralympic champion David Hall of Australia, and tennis industry leader Nancy Jeffett will receive the highest honor in tennis, induction into the International Tennis Hall of Fame.
The new Hall of Famers will be honored in a grand ceremony on Bill Talbert Center Court at the International Tennis Hall of Fame in Newport, R.I. Amelie Mauresmo will not be attending the ceremony as she is in her third trimester of pregnancy and unable to travel. She will still be inducted as part of the Class of 2015. Along with the other members of the Class of 2015, Mauresmo is featured in a tribute exhibit in the newly renovated museum at the International Tennis Hall of Fame, with further celebration of her achievement to be planned for a future date.
Billie Jean King will be a special guest at the ceremony, during which she will be honored 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.
Nancy Jeffett will be introduced for induction by Hall of Famer Pam Shriver. David Hall will be introduced by his coach, Rich Berman. International Tennis Hall of Fame President Stan Smith will participate in the ceremony, with many additional tennis legends scheduled to attend, including Hall of Famers Gigi Fernandez, Rosie Casals, and Owen Davidson, 2013 Wimbledon champion Marion Bartoli and ESPN’s Patrick McEnroe.
