Election into the International Tennis Hall of Fame sparked a double epiphany in Goran Ivanišević.
Croatian tennis legend Ivanišević and Spanish tennis great Conchita Martínez, each a Wimbledon champion and former world No. 2, have been elected to receive tennis’ ultimate honor in 2020—induction into the International Tennis Hall of Fame.
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In this video interview with the Newport, Rhode Island-based Hall, Ivanisevic reveals two vital reactions he had to the news. Ivanisevic, who coaches Novak Djokovic these days, was riding in a taxi when he received the call from HOF CEO Todd Martin, who told the lefthander the good news and advised him he wasn't allowed to tell anyone.
The experience taught Ivanisevic:
1. It's very hard to keep secrets when the Hall is involved.
2. It marked "maybe the first time in my life I was proud of myself."
"You have to say to somebody. So I had to pick one person and that was my wife," Ivanisevic said. "And I just sat down with myself after I got out of the taxi for 15 minutes. And waited, waited. To think: what did I achieve?
"You know I achieved, I got into the Hall of Fame. I started to play tennis not to get into the Hall of Fame; just to enjoy being in the tournaments, be as good as I can. And then this is the end of my tennis road, my tennis trip. And I was really proud of myself. Maybe for the first time in my life I was proud of myself."
Martinez and Ivanisevic will be officially inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in a ceremony on the evening of Saturday, July 18th, 2020 in Newport, Rhode Island. Tickets for the ceremony are on sale now on tennisfame.com/enshrinement.
Photo credit: International Tennis Hall of Fame