Maria Sharapova leads fan vote for the 2025 International Tennis Hall of Fame. The 5-time Grand Slam champion is still competing in the final round to receive the honour, but she has taken the lead in the first part of the process following votes from tens of thousands of fans in 120 countries.The 3…
Sharapova tops Hall of Fame fan vote
In 2004, the Russian tennis star won her first Grand Slam title at Wimbledon at just 17 years and 75 days old. She is the second-youngest player to lift the trophy at the All England Club in the Open Era, only behind Martina Hingis, who did so in 1997 at 16 years and 278 days.
“I am incredibly grateful to the fans all around the world who supported me during the International Tennis Hall of Fame’s Fan Vote,” said Sharapova. “It is a tremendous honour to be considered for the Hall of Fame, and having the fans’ support makes it all the more special.”
By winning the fan vote, Sharapova will receive an additional three percentage points added to her final voting score, while the Bryan brothers receive two points, and Nestor gets one point. After the votes from the panel of experts, the Class of 2025 will be announced in October.
Sharapova had an outstanding career from an early age. She is the 5th-youngest player to reach No. 1, behind Hingis, Monica Seles, Tracy Austin, and Steffi Graf. The Russian spent a total of 21 weeks at the top of the rankings (408 weeks in the top-5), winning 36 singles titles, including 5 Grand Slams and a WTA Finals, as well as a silver medal in singles at the 2012 Olympic Games.
Sharapova is one of just 10 players to achieve the Career Grand Slam (players who have won all four Slams), though only six of them did it in the Open Era, with Sharapova being the most recent in 2012 when she won her first French Open title by defeating Sara Errani in the final.