A pair of former world No. 1 players and a dynamic Grand Slam doubles champion lead the list of nominees for the International Tennis Hall of Fame's Class of 2016.
Seven-time Grand Slam champion and former world No. 1 Justine Henin, two-time Grand Slam champion Marat Safin and Helena Sukova, who won 14 major titles in doubles and mixed doubles, have all been nominated for induction into the International Tennis Hall of Fame.
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Voting for the Class of 2016 takes place in the coming weeks. The inductees will be announced in early 2016.
The owner of one of the most exquisite one-handed backhands in WTA history, Henin was the year-end No. 1 in 2003, 2006 and 2007. The Belgian captured 43 career titles, including seven Grand Slam crowns. A four-time French Open champion, Henin also won the gold medal at the 2004 Olympic Games defeating Amélie Mauresmo in the final to win Belgium's lone gold medal at the 2004 Olympics.
"The Hall of Famers are individuals who I have admired from the time I was a young girl, throughout my career, and to this day," said the 33-year-old Henin. "To be nominated for induction into this group and to have my career recognized in this way is a great honor, and I thank the committee for the nomination."
The explosive Safin was just 20 years old when he shocked Pete Sampras in the 2000 US Open final shattering one of the game's biggest servers to win his first career Grand Slam title. Five years later, Safin rallied past home favorite Lleyton Hewitt to win his second major championship at the 2005 Australian Open.
The temperamental titan, who enjoyed a massive fan following both for his powerful ground game and volatile outbursts, also helped lead Russia to two Davis Cup championships. Marat Safin and sister Dinara Safina are the only brother-sister tandem in history to attain the world No. 1 rankings. Safin held the top spot in 2000. He was the first Russian man to reach the Wimbledon semifinals in the Open era.
"To be part of a Hall of Fame is every athlete's dream," Safin said. "It is a great honor to have my tennis career recognized in this way, and I am proud to represent Russian tennis with this nomination for such a prestigious honor in our sport."
An aggressive, attacking player, Sukova reached four Grand Slam singles finals. She claimed nine Grand Slam doubles titles and five major mixed doubles championships.
Nineteen years ago, Martina Hingis became the youngest-ever Grand Slam champion at the age of 15 years, 9 months when she teamed with Helena Sukova to win the 1996 Wimbledon doubles crown.
"It is a great honor for me to be selected as a nominee for the Hall of Fame," Sukova said. "Being recognized as part of tennis history is all I can ask, now that my playing days are over. The International Tennis Hall of Fame is the most prestigious group of legends in the sport, and it is an honor to have my career recognized with a nomination for this most esteemed stage."
All three are nominated in the Recent Player Category for induction in the Class of 2016. In addition, Yvon Petra, a notable French tennis player of the 1940s, and Margaret Scriven, British tennis champion of the 1930s, have been nominated posthumously in the Master Player Category. There are no nominees in the Contributor Category for 2016.