Roddick, Clijsters Headline 2017 Hall of Fame Class Nominees

September 9, 2016 | By New York Tennis Magazine Staff


Photo courtesy of International Tennis Hall of Fame

The International Tennis Hall of Fame, located in Newport, Rhode Island, announced its 2017 nominees on Thursday, and former world number ones Kim Clijsters and Andy Roddick headline the field for the sport’s highest honor.

Clijsters and Roddick are part of the Recent Player Category, and will be joined by Monique Kalkman, a Paralympic gold medalist and wheelchair tennis player from Netherlands in the 1990s.

Vic Braden and Steve Flink are a part of the Class of 2017 in the Contributor Category.

“Kim Clijsters and Andy Roddick are two incredibly dynamic athletes who certainly left their mark on tennis history.  They were both relentlessly committed to the sport, and as a result they reached the top of the game. Monique Kalkman was an inspiration to many and her success in the Paralympics and significant tournaments places her at the pinnacle of wheelchair tennis,” said Stan Smith, President of the International Tennis Hall of Fame and Chairman of the Enshirnee Nominating Committee. “In addition to the athletes who excel at the top levels of the sport, growth and engagemtn in tennis worldwide also hinges on dedicated industry leaders who are so passionate about the game, such as Vic Braden in his teaching and Steve Flink in his work as a journalist and historian.

Congratulations to all the nominees on this great recognition of their careers.”

The voting for the Class of 2017 will take place later this fall, and the inductees will be announced in early 2017.

“I’m incredibly honored to be considered for the Hall of Fame,” said Roddick. “I put my all into our sport for many years, and I’m so grateful to have had the opportunity to compete with some of the best athletes tennis has ever known, many of whom were idols I looked up to all my life. It is a huge honor for me to have my name be considered to be alongside theirs in the International Tennis Hall of Fame. I’d like to extend my thanks to the nominating committee for including me on the ballot.”

Click Here to read more about all five of the nominees. 


New York Tennis Magazine Staff
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