Top 5 Tennis legends who are surprisingly not in the Hall of Fame

Roger Federer has become the latest player to be inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame. The Class of 2025 also includes former Russian star Maria Sharapova, along with legendary doubles specialists Mike and Bob Bryan. Last year, Indian doubles icon Leander Paes, former Indian ace Vijay Amritraj, and tennis journalist Richard Evans were honoured with induction into this prestigious list.

Over the years, many great players have earned a place in the Hall of Fame, though some have missed out or been excluded due to various reasons. To receive this honour, a tennis player must meet strict and significant criteria that reflect excellence, consistency, and lasting contribution to the sport.

A former player should have a strong record of competitive success, along with a reputation for good character and sportsmanship. The player must also have been retired for at least five years and must have competed within the last 20 years.

After being nominated, the candidate must receive at least 75% approval from the Official Voting Group. Even when players meet all other eligibility requirements, some have failed to be inducted because they did not receive enough votes.

Let’s take a closer look at the top five players who have yet to be inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame.

5. Svetlana Kuznetsova

Svetlana Kuznetsova was nominated for induction into the International Tennis Hall of Fame Class of 2026 alongside Roger Federer. However, in the player category, the former Swiss superstar ultimately secured the spot. Kuznetsova fell short of the required 75 percent vote threshold for induction, allowing the honor to go to the 20-time Grand Slam champion.

Kuznetsova enjoyed a highly successful career, winning two Grand Slam singles titles and two Grand Slam doubles titles. She also claimed 18 WTA-level trophies and reached a career-high singles ranking of World No. 2. The Russian tennis star officially retired from professional tennis after competing at the 2021 Wimbledon Championships.

4. Juan Martin del Potro

While Roger Federer rightfully stole the spotlight with his induction into the International Tennis Hall of Fame, Juan Martín del Potro faced a disappointing setback.

The 2009 US Open champion failed to secure the required number of votes and was left out of the race for a place in the prestigious Hall.

Del Potro’s omission is particularly striking given his place in tennis history. Between the 2005 French Open and the 2010 US Open, only two players outside of Federer and Rafael Nadal managed to win a Grand Slam title — and Del Potro was one of them.

3. Ana Ivanovic

Ana Ivanović, one of Serbia’s most celebrated tennis players, narrowly missed out on a place in the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 2022. Despite an illustrious career, no new players were inducted that year.

Ivanović enjoyed an outstanding run on the WTA Tour, spending 12 weeks as World No. 1 and capturing 15 WTA titles. Her crowning achievement came in 2008, when she won the French Open, cementing her status as one of the top players of her generation.

She was among a strong group of nominees in 2022, which included Zimbabwe’s Cara Black, Spain’s Juan Carlos Ferrero and Carlos Moyá, Italy’s Flavia Pennetta, and American doubles specialist Lisa Raymond.

2. Sergi Bruguera

Sergi Bruguera was nominated for the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 2021, the same year Lleyton Hewitt was officially inducted. However, Bruguera was unable to attend the ceremony due to COVID-19 travel restrictions.

The two-time French Open champion, who reached a career-high world ranking of No. 3, was nominated alongside Juan Carlos Ferrero, Lisa Raymond, and Jonas Björkman, with Hewitt ultimately earning induction. Notably, Bruguera had also appeared on the Hall of Fame ballot the previous year, in 2020.

1. Johan Kriek

Former South African–American tennis star Johan Kriek is regarded as one of the notable figures of his era. A two-time Australian Open champion, he claimed the title in back-to-back years in 1981 and 1982, cementing his place in tennis history.

Despite his impressive achievements and recognition among the sport’s icons, Kriek has yet to be inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame. According to Kriek himself, this omission is not due to a lack of accomplishments, but rather what he describes as “political reasons” linked to American tennis—making his eventual induction increasingly unlikely.

Cover Credits - Wimbledon