Maria Sharapova, a five-time Grand Slam singles champion, and Bob and Mike Bryan, twins with a record 16 major titles in men's doubles, have been selected as first-ballot inductees into the International Tennis Hall of Fame for the Class of 2025. The announcement was made by the Hall based in Newport, Rhode Island.
Sharapova, known for her on-court grit and off-court attention, achieved a career Grand Slam by winning at least one championship at each of the four most prestigious tennis events. She was the first Russian woman to reach the No. 1 spot in the WTA singles rankings before retiring in 2020 at the age of 32. Sharapova's career spanned 15 years, during which she faced a 15-month doping ban and underwent multiple shoulder surgeries.
The Bryan brothers, Bob and Mike, also completed a career Grand Slam and held the No. 1 ranking in ATP doubles for a total of 438 weeks. They clinched a gold medal at the 2012 London Olympics and contributed to the United States' 2007 Davis Cup victory. Bob currently serves as the captain of the American team aiming for success in the upcoming Davis Cup finals in Malaga, Spain.
Mike Bryan, the right-handed sibling, holds the record for the most major men's doubles titles with 18 overall. Notably, he secured two of these titles with Jack Sock in 2018 while Bob was sidelined due to injury.
Sharapova's rise to stardom began in 2004 when she won her first major title at Wimbledon at just 17 years old, defeating Serena Williams in the final. She went on to claim titles at the U.S. Open in 2006, the Australian Open in 2008, and the French Open in 2012 and 2014. Sharapova also contributed to Russia's victory in the Billie Jean King Cup in 2008 and won a silver medal in singles at the 2012 Olympics.
Despite her on-court success, Sharapova's off-court ventures as a businesswoman and brand ambassador were equally significant, leading to lucrative endorsement deals that surpassed her prize money earnings. In 2016, she faced a doping scandal after testing positive for meldonium at the Australian Open, resulting in a reduced suspension following an appeal.
The induction ceremony for the Bryans and Sharapova is scheduled for August, while Daniel Nestor, a Canadian with 12 Grand Slam titles in men's or mixed doubles, did not receive the required votes for Hall of Fame induction in his third and final year as a candidate.
