ICYMI: You will have to vote again for Cara Black as Tennis Hall of Fame process fails to pick an inductee

Cara Black PIC: robbiesaurus from Smithtown, NY, USA

So after the campaign which saw Zimbabwe tennis legend Cara Black win a public vote to be inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame, we are back to square one.

Following the tabulation of votes submitted for the International Tennis Hall of Fame Class of 2022 ballot, the official process for selection has resulted in no new inductees for 2022, the organisers said a few months ago.

To be selected for the International Tennis Hall of Fame, a candidate must receive an affirmative vote of 75% or higher from the combined results of the Official Voting Group and any bonus percentage points earned in the ITHF’s Fan Vote. The Official Voting Group is an independent body comprised of media, historians, Hall of Famers, and industry experts who participate annually in International Tennis Hall of Fame voting. The Fan Vote is open to tennis fans worldwide.

The nominees on the Class of 2022 ballot were Black, Juan Carlos Ferrero of Spain, Ana Ivanović of Serbia, Carlos Moyá of Spain, Flavia Pennetta of Italy, and Lisa Raymond of the United States.

In November, it was announced that Cara Black, Flavia Pennetta, and Ana Ivanovic, came in first, second, and third place, respectively, in the ITHF’s Fan Vote. Each earned bonus points for their Fan Vote results, but that does not guarantee Hall of Fame induction.

All of the nominees will appear again on the ballot next year, as the ITHF enshrinement policies and procedures state that Hall of Fame nominees remain on the ballot for up to three years, if not voted in.

The lack of an inductee is for the first time in its history.