LONDON: Five-time singles major champion Maria Sharapova and American twins Bob and Mike Bryan, who formed the most successful doubles team in history, were named to the International Tennis Hall of Fame’s Class of 2025, organisers said on Thursday.

The Class of 2025 will be enshrined at an Aug 23 induction ceremony at the Hall of Fame in Newport, Rhode Island.

Sharapova, one of only 10 women in tennis to achieve a career Grand Slam in singles, became the first Russian woman to reach the world number one ranking in 2005. She also won a silver medal at the 2012 London Olympics.

Renowned for her never-say-die approach to the sport despite regularly being hampered by shoulder problems, Sharapova was one of the game’s most recognisable players but her image took a hit after the announcement in 2016 that she failed a drug test.

Sharapova tested positive for meldonium at the Australian Open in 2016 and was later banned by the International Tennis Federation for two years before an appeal saw her suspension reduced to 15 months.

She returned to competition in 2017 and retired in February 2020, ending a career in which she won almost $40 million in prize money, became one of the highest paid sportswomen in the world and one of the most recognisable athletes.

The Bryans won 16 Grand Slam men’s doubles titles together and remain the most successful duos in ATP Tour history, holding the record for most weeks (438) atop the doubles world rankings.

Published in Dawn, October 25th, 2024