Leander Paes, Vijay Amritraj inducted into tennis Hall of Fame

Leander Peas and Vijay Amritraj

Leander Paes and Vijay Amritraj, former Indian tennis players, have been inducted in tennis' prestigious Hall of Fame. Paes was inducted in the players' category and Amritraj in the contributors category, which comes up for elections every two years.

The only other inductee in the Hall of Fame in the class of 2024 is Britain's Richard Evans, a popular tennis journalist.

Paes' nomination, announced along with others earlier this year, went through a detailed voting process wherein a committee appointed by the International Hall of Fame cast their votes. Fans, too, were allowed to vote for their favourite players. Both votes were counted to pick the winners.

Paes, who has now retired, is one of India's most illustrious tennis players. During his 30-year-long career, from 1990 to 2020, he won 54 career doubles titles and earned $78,10,052 in prize money from his doubles play.

This record includes 18 Major titles, or grand slams as they are better known. According to ATPWorldtour.com, he is one of only three players to have won all four grand slams titles in both men's doubles and mixed doubles.

Of the 18 titles, he won eight in men's and 10 in mixed doubles. In 1996, Paes also won a bronze medal at the Atlanta Olympics.

They will be officially inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in a ceremony on July 20, 2024 in Newport, Rhode Island.