2024-09-13 22:24:28
Russia’s Maria Sharapova, who has five Grand Slam titles and is a former world No. 1, leads the fan vote for the Hall of Fame.
The American doubles team of Bob and Mike Bryan finished second and Canada’s Daniel Nestor was ranked third. Fans from 120 countries vote in the first of two steps of the process. In the second official group of journalists, historians and participants in the Hall of Fame will vote for the laureate in 2025.
“I am incredibly grateful to the fans around the world who supported me in voting,” Sharapova said in a statement. “It’s a great honor to be a candidate for the Hall of Fame, and to have the support of the fans is even more special,” added the Russian, who had a relationship with our best tennis player in history, Grigor Dimitrov.
Sharapova became the first Russian woman to reach No. 1 in the world. She won Wimbledon in 2004, US Open in 2006, Australian Open in 2008 and Roland Garros twice – 2012 and 2014.
She has a title with Team Russia at the 2008 Fed Cup and a silver medal at the 2012 London Olympics.