Program areas at International Tennis Hall of Fame
Tennis tournament - the infosys Hall of Fame open for the van alen cup is an atp tour event hosted annually on the historic grass courts of the International Tennis Hall of Fame. The tournament draws 28 of the top male players in the world competing for the van alen cup and 32 male players compete for the doubles title. The tournament is the only atp tour stop in the northeast and the only event to be played on grass courts in north america.
Enshrinement - the International Tennis Hall of Fame was established in 1954 at the newport casino as a "shrine to the ideals of the game". Originally named the national lawn Tennis Hall of Fame, it was sanctioned by the united states Tennis association in 1954. The first class was enshrined into the Hall of Fame in 1955. In 1986, we achieved worldwide recognition as the sport's official Hall of Fame by the International Tennis federation. Individuals are elected based on their records of competitive achievement, with ancillary consideration given to sportsmanship and character. Individuals are elected in one of three categories: player, contributor, and wheelchair. A series of voting panels representing the International Tennis community vote to elect these individuals for enshrinement. The enshrinement ceremony occurs at the International Tennis Hall of Fame each july. The museum, housed in the newport casino, was built by james gordon bennett in 1880. The newport casino was declared a national historic landmark in 1987 and became the first sports Hall of Fame to be accredited by the american alliance of museums in 2013 and reaccredited in 2022. The historic newport casino is an uncommon example of sporting excellence. The exhibits highlight the growth and development of Tennis through the 21st century, with a particular emphasis on its cultural impact. The stories of our Hall of famers, from our first class in 1955 to today, are told throughout the galleries providing personal insight into the historical developments of the game. The exhibits are dramatically set in the original rooms of the newport casino, where visitors of all ages can delight in stanford white's architectural detail. The woolard family enshrinement gallery honors the greatest champions, innovators, and administrators of Tennis who have been enshrined into the Hall of Fame.
Tennis courts - the International Tennis Hall of Fame is truly unique in that it is one of the only halls of Fame where the public can actually play the sport - Tennis - on Hall of Fame grounds. Players of every age and any ability level can play Tennis on the Hall of Fame's legendary grass courts, where the first us national Tennis championships were held in 1881. Tennis champions past and present have graced the Hall of Fame's grass courts including billie jean king, rod laver, martina navratilova, john mcenroe - just to name a few. The Hall of Fame Tennis club offers adult and junior Tennis programming year-round, with 6 hard courts, 13 grass courts, and 1 clay court available.
Teamfame - our national junior Tennis & learning (njtl) chapter, known as teamfame, which stands for future aces modeling excellence. Teamfame provides Tennis lessons, academic support, and character development programming for middle school students in helping the underserved community reach their goals, learn new skills, and change lives on and off the court.