Maria Sharapova and the Bryan brothers were elected to the International Tennis Hall of Fame

Maria Sharapova, a five-time Grand Slam singles champion known for courage on and off the court, and Bob and Mike Bryan, twins who have won a record 16 major men’s doubles titles together, are in the first round of voting the International Tennis Hall of Fame.

Newport, Rhode Island-based Hall announced results for the Class of 2025 on Thursday.

Canadian Daniel Nestor, who won 12 Grand Slam titles in men’s or mixed doubles, did not receive the 75 percent of votes needed to qualify in voting among media members, historians, Hall of Fame members, industry experts and others Fans were required for the Hall of Fame. This was his third – and final – year as a candidate.

Sharapova won at least one championship in each of her sport’s four most prestigious events, making her one of ten women in tennis history to complete a career Grand Slam, and she was the first Russian woman to reach No. 1 in the WTA singles rankings. She retired in 2020 at the age of 32, after a career that included 15 years in the spotlight, a 15-month doping ban and multiple surgeries on her right shoulder.

The Bryan brothers also achieved a career Grand Slam title and spent 438 weeks at No. 1 in the ATP doubles rankings. They won a gold medal at the 2012 London Olympics and helped the United States win the 2007 Davis Cup title; Bob is currently captain of the American team, which will travel to the finals in Malaga, Spain next month to compete for the country’s first triumph since then.

Mike Bryan – he is right-handed and his brother is left-handed – is a career leader with a total of 18 major trophies in men’s doubles; he got two with Jack Sock while Bob was injured in 2018.

Sharapova became an instant star when she won her first major title at Wimbledon in 2004 at the age of 17, defeating Serena Williams in the final. She then won the trophies at the 2006 US Open, 2008 Australian Open and 2012 French Open in 2014.

Sharapova helped Russia win the team competition in 2008, now known as the Billie Jean King Cup. At the 2012 Olympics, she won a silver medal in the singles event, but lost to Williams in the final.

At the same time, Sharapova earned millions of dollars more in endorsement deals than in prize money.

“I have several sides to me,” Sharapova said in a 2006 interview with The Associated Press, shortly before she won the title at Flushing Meadows. “There is Maria, who is a tennis player. There is Maria, who is a normal girl. And there is Maria, who is a businesswoman. And this is where the “Maria Sharapova” brand comes into play.”

At the 2016 Australian Open, Sharapova tested positive for the newly banned drug meldonium and initially received a two-year ban. After Sharapova appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Sport, she received a reduced sentence as she was found to have had “less than substantial fault” in the case and could not be “considered an intentional doper.”

The Bryans and Sharapova will be inducted in August.

VIEW | Canada’s Sports Hall of Fame inductee Daniel Nestor reflects on tennis in Canada: