Roger Federer and Mary Carillo’s induction into the International Tennis Hall of Fame (ITHF) is set to be a star-studded affair with nine Grand Slam winners confirmed to attend the big event.
The two tennis legends’ careers will be celebrated on Saturday, August 29 in Newport, Rhode Island, and the ITHF has confirmed that about 30 Hall of Famers are expected to attend the Induction Celebration Weekend.
Federer, of course, became the first man to win 20 Grand Slam singles titles, although that record was first overtaken by Rafael Nadal, who finished his career with 22 majors, before Novak Djokovic usurped both as he currently sits on 24 Slam trophies.
Carillo won the 1977 French Open mixed doubles title, but she has had a big impact on the sport as she became one of tennis’ most respected and recognisable voices as a broadcaster.
It remains to be seen if any other members of the Big Three – Nadal and Djokovic – will imitate Maria Sharapova and Serena Williams and surprise guests in Newport.
Former world No 1 Sharapova was inducted into the Hall of Fame 12 months ago and she asked her long-time rival Williams to introduce her, but they kept it a secret for several months.
“I had some of the toughest moments and some of the biggest victories on the court with Serena,” Sharapova told Gayle King. “At the end of the day, we have so much deep respect for each other, and there was no one that I wanted to see other than her up on stage.”
Organisers previously announced that the action will kick off on Thursday with Federer featuring in a doubles match along with Andy Roddick, Andre Agassi and John McEnroe, but more names have now been added.
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Doubles greats Bob Bryan and Mike Bryan, as well as Grand Slam winners Stefan Edberg, Lleyton Hewitt, Arantxa Sanchez Vicario, Martina Navratilova and Gabriela Sabatini are also set to play on the iconic grass courts in Newport.
Furthermore, TV personality Joey Graziadei, stand-up comedian and former professional tennis player Michael Kosta and two-time Grand Slam winner Garbine Muguruza will also feature with Olympic alpine ski champion Lindsay Vonn in the umpire’s chair.
As for those who can’t attend the event, they will be able to watch on television with Tennis Channel the exclusive broadcaster in the United States while it will also be aired in the United Kingdom, parts of Europe and the Middle East.
“The induction of Roger Federer and Mary Carillo has generated extraordinary excitement across the tennis world. We’re proud to bring this historic celebration to fans everywhere, ensuring audiences around the world can share in one of the sport’s most meaningful weekends,” Dan Faber, CEO of the International Tennis Hall of Fame, said.
