Juan Martin del Potro, Ash Barty and Svetlana Kuznetsova have been confirmed as the latest nominees for the International Tennis Hall of Fame.
Alongside Shingo Kunieda in the Wheelchair Category, the trio have been nominated for the Player Category for the 2027 ballot, for which Serena Williams would have been on pace to be voted into given her retirement in 2022. However, the WTA legend returned to the sport earlier this year.
Hall of Fame eligibility rules state that a WTA or ATP player must not have been a significant factor for five calendar years before election. It means Williams faces a lengthy wait for her inevitable induction, which her fellow legend Andy Roddick has now discussed.
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Andy Roddick reacts to Serena Williams’ Hall of Fame absence
Reacting to the 2027 Hall of Fame nominees, Roddick said on his Served podcast: “[Ash Barty] In. [Juan Martin del Potro] I hope he’s in, that’s one where it’s basically, he would be in, it’s just a matter of volume. His nomination is purely how much we value what he did in the limited time where he wasn’t hurt, and people are going to view that in different ways.
“[Svetlana Kuznetsova] She should be in, she won a couple of majors, singles, doubles, all of it. There’s certainly precedent for people who have gotten in before her, to be in.”
And giving his take on Williams not being eligible, he said: “Okay, I know it’s supposed to reset the clock. Are we saying that if she plays another year, we’re going to wait for Serena to get into the Hall of Fame? Let’s say she plays through next year, we’re going to wait until 2033, when Serena is like 50 to put her into the Hall of Fame, b——-.
“Listen, the Hall of Fame is one of the most special places on earth. If you get a unanimous yes, I don’t care how long you’ve been retired. Who would have cared if Serena came back right now and was already in the Hall of Fame, who would say that’s wrong, that doesn’t make any sense, no one.
“Two of the three at least getting in, I hope Juan Martin gets in, I do, I really do. He’s one of the best people in the game, and he’s really well-liked. I could have a conversation with whether that should matter, but it does matter.”
Like Roddick, former ATP trio Steve Johnson, John Isner and Sam Querrey have also been having their say on the 2027 nominees, who are looking to follow in the footsteps of 2026 inductee Roger Federer.
Johnson asked the question on the Nothing Major Show: “Do we think Svetlana and Juan Martin delpo get in? They didn’t quite reach the 75% threshold last year… I think Ash Barty gets in first time.”
Isner replied: “She’s getting in,” with Querrey in agreement. Johnson then noted: “The wheelchair legend Shingo is getting in, he should already be at 100% with his career. I don’t know about Delpo and Svetlana.”
Querrey responded: “I’m going to say both of them don’t get in,” with Johnson concurring: “I don’t think they get in either. No offence to either one, just not quite a Hall of Fame career. Cut short by injury for Delpo, for sure.”
It should be an intriguing story to follow, with all three players having claimed Grand Slam success during their fantastic careers. Meanwhile, Williams’ phenomenal achievements need no introduction, with the American icon boasting 23 Grand Slam singles titles.
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