In a first, no new inductions in Tennis Hall of Fame

The International Tennis Hall of Fame has said that for the first time in its history no new inductees were selected after the nominees failed to earn the required support.

The Hall has been around since 1955.

Grand Slam title winners Ana Ivanovic, Flavia Pennetta, Carlos Moya and Cara Black were the new nominees on the ballot for the Class of 2022, joining holdovers Lisa Raymond and Juan Carlos Ferrero. 

"The International Tennis Hall of Fame induction process is a multi-step process of review and consideration by committees and voters," Hall of Fame Chief Executive Todd Martin said in a statement on Tuesday.

"The determination of who is deserving of Hall of Fame induction rests with the Official Voting Group, a group of independent voters who come from a range of backgrounds in the sport and are all highly knowledgeable on the breadth of the sport's history."

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All of the six nominees will appear on the ballot next year, as the Hall of Fame's policies allow nominees to remain on the ballot for up to three years, if not voted in.

To be selected for induction, a candidate must receive an affirmative vote of 75 percent or higher from the combined results of the official voting group - which includes media, historians, Hall of Famers and industry experts - and any bonus points earned in a fan vote.

Last November it was announced that Black, Italy's Pennetta and Serbia's Ivanovic, came in first, second, and third place, respectively, in the fan vote.

The Hall of Fame will still hold an induction ceremony in July because Class of 2021 inductee Lleyton Hewitt was unable to travel for the event last year due to Covid-19 travel restrictions.

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