Russian star Kafelnikov inducted into International Tennis Hall of Fame

Russian Tennis Federation Vice President Yevgeny Kafelnikov has been inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame along with China’s Li Na and France’s Mary Pierce, the organization said in a statement.

"It’s a pleasure to congratulate Li Na, Mary Pierce and Yevgeny Kafelnikov, and to welcome them into the International Tennis Hall of Fame," Hall of Fame President Stan Smith said, as cited in the statement. "They are three incredibly hard-working athletes who set and achieved goals at tennis’ highest levels. This is a well-deserved honor, and we look forward to celebrating them as Hall of Famers in Newport in July," he added.

"It is a great honor for me to be inducted into the Hall of Fame and represent Russia among the greatest tennis champions," Kafelnikov said.

Kafelnikov, 44, won singles titles at the 1996 French Open and the 1999 Australian Open, as well as doubles titles at the French Open in 1996, 1997 and 2002. He is the first Russian tennis player to have won a Grand Slam singles title and the last man to have won both the singles and doubles titles at the same Grand Slam tournament. Kafelnikov also won the singles gold medal at the 2000 Olympic Games and was a member of the Russian team that won the Davis Cup in 2002. He was the world No. 1 tennis player on May 3 to June 13, 1999.

The International Tennis Hall of Fame, located in Newport, United States, was established in 1954. Kafelnikov is the second Russian to be inducted into the Hall of Fame, the first one being Marat Safin (2016).