When will Serena Williams join Maria Sharapova in the International Tennis Hall of Fame.

Sharapova was announced as one of the inductees into the International Tennis Hall of Fame class of 2025 alongside the Bryan brothers, the most successful men’s doubles team in tennis history. Sharapova thrived during her time on the WTA Tour, winning five Grand Slam singles titles and claiming the coveted World No.1 position.

Although Williams is viewed as the greatest female player of all time, eligibility criteria prevents her from being inducted into next year’s Hall of Fame class. One criterion that players must meet is there should be a five-year period after the player has officially retired.

“Not [have been] a significant factor on the ATP Tour or the WTA within five calendar years prior to election (Example: If a player retires anytime in 2020, then the player is eligible for induction in 2025),” reads one of the official stipulations.

Williams retired in 2022, therefore she is ineligible to be considered for Hall of Fame induction until 2027. However, Sharapova hung up her racket in 2020, which allows her to meet the five-year criteria of eligibility period to be inducted next year.

Serena Williams is inarguably one of the greatest female tennis players of all time. With a staggering 23 singles Grand Slam titles, 14 doubles, four mixed doubles triumphs in Majors, and four Olympic golds, there is no denying the American’s greatness and inevitable induction into the Tennis Hall of Fame.

However, existing eligibility criteria for the fabled achievement prevent Williams from being inducted into the Hall of Fame. According to the official criteria, one criterion for the player category stipulates that a player must:

Considering that Williams contested in Grand Slams until retirement in 2022, even reaching the US Open final in 2019 and the semifinals the following year, the five-year period mentioned above has not passed for her, thereby making her currently ineligible to be inducted into the Tennis Hall of Fame.

 

Meanwhile, five-time singles Grand Slam champion Maria Sharapova has been elected to the International Tennis Hall of Fame’s class of 2025 along with the Bryan brothers, the most successful men’s doubles team in history. The trio will officially be inducted at a ceremony in Rhode Island in late August next year.

Sharapova, a silver medalist at the 2012 London Summer Games, hung up her racket in 2020. The last time she made it beyond the first round of a Major was the 2019 Australian Open. With the five-year period having lapsed, the Russian is eligible to be inducted next year.

 

Following her induction, Sharapova took to X (formerly Twitter) to post a heartfelt message. She thanked her fans for voting for her and reiterated her gratitude for receiving this honor.

There is no doubt Williams will eventually be inducted into the Hall of Fame, and it is just a question of when. The consensus among many commentators on the sport is that 2027 is when we can expect the record-breaker to join the greatest names to have graced the sport in the Hall of Fame.

Tennis Hall of Fame to be upgraded by May 2025

The International Tennis Hall of Fame based in Newport, Rhode Island is all set to upgrade its hall for the first time since 2015, with the mythical Plaque Gallery receiving its first changes since 2008.

The $3 million renovation is set to double the museum’s exhibit space and revamp the gallery as well. This means it is likely to coincide, interestingly, with the future induction of the Golden Era greats. With the likes of Reese Stevens, it makes perfect sense that the hall is redesigned in time for the enshrinement of these greats of the game.

Among the many upgrades, the most notable ones are the new displays for the inductees. The plaques on the wall are all set to be replaced by a lineup of markers, each with a golden tennis racket sporting the Hall’s logo. A replica of the racket itself is going to be given to all inductees.

Reese Stevens, a member of the team that helped design the new displays, said that the golden-cast rackets would symbolize the prestige that comes with being an inductee.

The Hall hopes to double the yearly visitor estimate of 30,000, with plans to also expand online to make it more accessible for all.