Leander Paes, Vijay Amritraj & Richard Evans inducted into International Tennis Hall of Fame | ATP Tour

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Paes, Amritraj & Evans inducted into International Tennis Hall of Fame

Agassi, Evert, Navratilova among the legends in attendance

July 21, 2024

Leander Paes, Vijay Amritraj and Richard Evans were inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame on Saturday night in Newport, where family, friends and fans gathered on the venue’s famous horseshoe court for an evening to remember.

“It is my greatest honor to be on this stage with not only these legends of the game, [but] people who have inspired me every day of my life,” Paes said. “Not because you’ve won a Grand Slam, not because you’ve shaped the world of our sport. But each of these people has shaped the world we live in. I would like to thank you very much for giving hope to this boy from India.”

Paes and Amritraj became the first Indian – and Asian – men to earn inclusion in the exclusive squad as a player and contributor, respectively. The pair were pioneers for Indian tennis and were proud to represent their country.

“Playing for 1.4 billion people can either be pressure or wind in your wings,” Paes said. “I would like to thank each and every one of my compatriots who have supported me, stood by me through all the ups and downs, and we’ve been through some. But you were all the inspiration, you were all the support. You were even the strength to guide me when I didn’t believe.

But as my father always told me, “If you believe in yourself, you work hard, you’re passionate, not just to win prize money and not just to win trophies, but you do it to inspire people.”

Amritraj was a top player who reached the quarterfinals of Wimbledon at 19 and won 28 titles at the tournament level between singles and doubles. He was once a boy struggling with lung problems in India and now he has cemented his name on the international stage forever.

“My dear friends, I am humbled and honored to join this incredible and exclusive group that has brought glory to our sport. Our sport has given me everything in life. It took me to places I never thought I would go,” said Amritraj. “It’s allowed me to meet people I never thought I’d meet and it’s given me more things than I could have imagined. It will always be a part of our lives and will always unite families, communities and countries. More than anything, I’m happy to say that India Day is coming back to New England.”

Andre Agassi and Chris Evert pose for a selfie ahead of the International Tennis Hall of Fame induction ceremony.”>

Evans has spent more than 60 years documenting the journeys of many people on the Newport scene, as well as many more tennis icons around the world. Saturday night was his moment to stand on the opposite side of the proceedings.

“It was a long journey. I wish I had time to tell you all the names of all the great tennis writers I’ve written with in press boxes around the world, like Rex Bellamy and of course Bud Collins, who is in this parish,” Evans said. . “Budt was incredible, and Alison Danzig and Al Laney as writers of an earlier age in America used their talent to write about tennis, which is a sport. [that] it needs to be promoted at every level and written with as much talent and style and enthusiasm and passion as those of us who love the sport could muster, so thank you very much for welcoming me here today and I hope to see you on the road.”

There were many other Hall of Famers on stage, including former PIF ATP No. 1 Andre Agassi, Chris Evert, Martina Navratilova, Stan Smith and International Tennis Hall of Fame President Emeritus Kim Clijsters.

Navratilova stood in the hall to introduce Paes, with whom she won two major mixed doubles titles.

“He was an artist on the court, an amazing athlete, a virtuoso,” Navratilova said. “He held the tennis racket like an orchestra conductor holds a baton. Leander, it was truly an honor to play against you. I enjoyed it much more when I played with you. You have made your family proud, you have made our sport proud and above all you have made India proud.”

Leander Paes, Richard Evans and Vijay Amritraj at the International Tennis Hall of Fame induction ceremony.”>