Top five players who haven't been inducted in Tennis Hall of Fame

Roger Federer has become the first player from the “Big Three” to be inducted into Tennis Hall of Fame.

Roger Federer has become the latest inductee in the International Tennis Hall of Fame. In the class of 2025, former Russian tennis star Maria Sharapova and doubles specialists Mike and Bob Bryan were inducted.

Last year, Indian doubles legend Leander Paes, former star Vijay Amritraj and Richard Evans were inducted into the coveted list.

While a lot of players have been crowned by getting a spot in the list, a few have been dropped out due to multiple reasons. To be inducted into the list, a tennis player is expected to fulfil significant criteria.

The former player should have a record of competitive achievement in addition to a good character and sportsmanship.

Additionally, the player should have been retired from the tour for at least five years and have been active within the last 20 years.

After being nominated, the candidate must receive an affirmative vote of 75% or more from the Official Voting Group. While making a cut in the other criteria, a few former players have fallen short in the race due to not getting votes.

News:Roger Federer was voted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame, but the other two nominees in the recent player category—Svetlana Kuznetsova and Juan Martin del Potro—did not clear the 75% threshold for induction.Mary Carillo was voted in as a contributor. pic.twitter.com/PdtUp7RLxW

— Ben Rothenberg (@BenRothenberg) November 19, 2025

Thus, without further ado, let’s take a look at the top five players who haven’t been inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame.

Players who haven’t been inducted in International Tennis Hall of Fame

5. Svetlana Kuznetsova

Svetlana Kuznetsova was nominated alongside Roger Federer for induction into the 2026 International Tennis Hall of Fame. However, in the recent player category, the former Swiss tennis star got the edge.

Kuznetsova failed to reach the 75 per cent threshold for induction; thus, the spot was given to 20-time Grand Slam champion Roger Federer.

A two-time women’s singles and two-time women’s doubles Grand Slam champion, Kuznetsova won a total of 18 WTA-level titles in her professional career. The former WTA World No. 2 retired from the sport after playing in the 2021 Wimbledon Championships.

Also Read: Top five players with most consecutive weeks in ATP top 10 rankings

4. Juan Martin del Potro

Again, while Federer took the limelight by getting inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame, Juan Martin del Potro became another victim.

Failing to reach the sufficient amount of votes, the 2009 US Open Champion was ruled out of the race to enter the coveted list.

Martin del Potro was one of only two players, aside from Federer and Rafael Nadal, to win a Grand Slam title between the 2005 French Open and the 2010 US Open.

3. Ana Ivanovic

While being nominated for the coveted honour in 2022, Ana Ivanović failed to get the distinction. The former Serbian tennis star was ranked World No. 1 for 12 weeks; she won a total of 15 WTA-level titles, including her memorable 2008 French Open triumph.

One of the top players on the tour at the time, Ivanović did not make the coveted list, as no new stars were inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 2022.

The other nominees in 2022 were Cara Black of Zimbabwe, Juan Carlos Ferrero of Spain, Carlos Moya of Spain, Flavia Pennetta of Italy, and Lisa Raymond of the USA.

Throwback when Novak Djokovic and Ana ivanovic danced for Gangam style 🕺💃🤣pic.twitter.com/Y6m8EVDmYd

— SK (@Djoko_UTD) November 22, 2025

2. Sergi Bruguera

Sergi Bruguera was nominated for the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 2021, the same year Lleyton Hewitt was inducted into the coveted list, but he was unable to travel to the ceremony due to COVID-19 restrictions.

The two-time French Open champion, who reached a career-high ranking of 3, was nominated alongside Juan Carlos Ferrero, Lisa Raymond, Jonas Bjorkman and eventual winner Lleyton Hewitt. Interestingly, Bruguera was also on the ballot in 2020.

1. Johan Kriek

Former South African-American tennis player Johan Kriek is a part of multiple coveted lists of icons. He also has two Australian Open titles in his illustrious trophy cabinet, which was claimed in two consecutive years between 1981 and 1982.

However, he has not been inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame, and now, it seems very unlikely to happen. Kriek has stated that he has not been inducted into the Hall of Fame due to ‘political reasons’ that have to do with American tennis.

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