July 18, 2021 - The Goran Ivanišević Tennis Hall of Fame induction speech was done in Goran fashion, with a touch of humor, a lot of emotion, and paid tribute to everything Croatia has given him. 

"This is a dream come true," said Wimbledon winner Goran Ivanišević to conclude his speech at a ceremony in Newport, Rhode Island, where the 49-year-old from Split became the first Croat to be inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame.

Along with Ivanišević, Conchita Martinez, the first Spaniard to win the Wimbledon title in 1994, was inducted into the 2020 Hall of Fame at the same ceremony.

From the 2021 generation, this honor was given to the "Original 9", nine players led by Billie Jean King, who were the pioneers of the fight for equal status and rights between tennis players and the founders of today's WTA Tour, and posthumously included in the Hall of Fame coach and educator Dennis Van der Meer known by the nickname “Teacher of teachers.”

Goran was introduced to the company of tennis immortals by his boy idol John McEnroe. The medal of a member of the International Hall of Fame was hung around his neck by the president of this organization and its member Stan Smith.

"I love Goran Ivanišević, and I am immensely excited to be able to bring into the Hall of Fame someone who can be said to have been crazier on the court than I was. I played against Goran a lot of times, I watched and commented on his matches many times, and I have to say he always kept me on the edge of my seat because I never knew what would happen next, and I’m not sure he knew either. His unpredictability is one of the reasons why we loved him and why it was so hard to play against him. What he did on the court, Goran did in his own way. It would certainly be good to have such players in tournaments ... I am proud to present my friend and a new member of the International Hall of Fame," said John McEnroe, introducing Goran to the Hall of Fame. 

"I don't think I'm crazier than you, but I'm very close. I love you, I love your tennis, you are the reason why I started playing tennis and - yes, I beat you many times," said Goran to open his speech.

He thanked the representatives of "Original 9" for initiating changes in tennis and for their courage. He said that there is no "better and more pleasant person" than Conchita Martinez to be inducted with. 

"42 years ago, I started this trip from the small town of Split in Croatia, and today it will end in Newport. Along the way, I have to thank some people with whom I went through good and bad moments, ups and downs," Goran said before listing the names of all his coaches, "because they helped him become the player he was."

"Laci Kačer, Mek Ercegović, Zoran Ilić, Niki Pilić, Boško Čavka, Balasz Taroczy, Mario Tudor, Vedran Martić and, most importantly for me, Bob Brett who is no longer with us, but proud of me up there."

Then he remembered his teammates and members of the Davis Cup national teams.

"I had the honor to play for two countries, first for Yugoslavia and then for Croatia. First, I will mention Bob Živojinović and captain Radmilo Armenulić, who helped me a lot on the Yugoslavia team. From my Croatia team, coaches Željko Franulović and Niki Pilić, Goran Prpić, Bruno Orešar, Ivan Ljubičić, Mario Ančić, Saša Hiršzon, Igor Šarić and Ivo Karlović. We played together, laughed, and won the Davis Cup in 2005."

He also thanked all the players he met on the ATP Tour.

"Some of them ruined my life. Nearly. They all made me a better player, and that’s why I’m here today."

Thanks were also given to Goran's friends, who believed in him even when it was impossible, who raised him when he despaired, and who always had nice words for him.

Goran's fans also got a special place.

"It was not easy to be my fan," said Ivanišević with plenty of laughter from the audience.

"It was frustrating, it was sad, probably a lot of people got divorced because of me. But one thing is for sure - it was fun to be my fan."

Journalists also received their share of gratitude.

"We had fun, we often did not agree, but there was mutual respect," he said, and he singled out one special person from the crowd, who accompanied him as a ten-year-old - Neven Bertičević.

"Neven, thank you for every wonderful word you have written about me."

A special space in gratitude was given to those who sacrificed the most for the career of the new Hall of Fame resident - father Srdjan and mother Gorana.

"The two most important people in my career - mom and dad. Two people sacrificed their health, careers, and time and gave me unconditional love to succeed. Mom and Dad, there are no words I can thank you for, nor can I do anything to thank you for all you have done for me. If I had to go through this trip again, I would choose you for mom and dad again, and we would go together again. I love you and thank you for everything."

He also thanked his children: Oliver, who is "too young to know who his father is, but loves him," and Emanuel and Amber, who are big enough and "feel proud of what their father has achieved."

Then it was his wife's turn.

"When I was starting to be good (tennis player), she was still a girl. She didn’t know about me, nor did she know anything about tennis. Twenty-something years later, she stands here extremely proud and beautiful. Thank you for your support and love."

Goran has not forgotten the people responsible for his historical success, which made him a tennis legend.

"I thank the Wimbledon committee for awarding me the invitation. I don’t know if they did a good job and if they regret it, but thank you, guys - if it weren’t for you, I wouldn’t be standing here now. It was a good decision."

In the end, Goran left thanks to "one city and one country."

"My hometown of Split - a city that has given so many wonderful people and wonderful athletes. The city gave me the most beautiful and safest childhood, where I could become a tennis player as I am today and as I was. Everything I built through my career, I brought from that city and became the man I am today. To my country. You know, we are a small country with a big heart. We never stop believing. I’ve had a lot of ups and downs, but I’ve never stopped believing. For the first time in my life, I can say that I am proud of myself."

In the end, he remembered the company that faithfully followed him on the road to his greatest achievement at Wimbledon in 2001.

"Boys, you made me proud. We did things our way, harder, but it was our way. But only I go inside. You can come and visit me, but I deserved to come in," said Goran with a standing ovation from the audience and concluded:

"This is the end. This is a dream come true."

Source: HRT

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July 17, 2021 - The Goran Ivanišević Tennis Hall of Fame induction takes place tonight in Newport, Rhode Island! 

To mark the 20th anniversary of winning Wimbledon, Goran Ivanišević will be inducted to the International Tennis Hall of Fame in Newport, Rhode Island, USA, tonight, 18 months after learning the happy news that marked the end of his magnificent career. Goran was supposed to enter the Hall of Fame last summer, but the coronavirus disrupted those plans and postponed them to today, reports Slobodna Dalmacija.

The solemn ceremony begins at 6 pm local time, or at midnight in Croatia. Goran has about five minutes to speak, and as he announced, he will dedicate his speech primarily to his family - Dad Srdjan, mom Gorana and sister Srdjana who passed away two years ago. It will not be easy to summarize all these emotions in such a short time, but we have no doubt that in addition to the written notes on paper, there will be room for some spontaneous comments, in Goran fashion. 

"I played the final for the first time on Monday, I played the semifinals for the first time in three days, there were so many events. And then the match points, I had four of them, and I played my fourth final. That had to be it. When I won, all my dreams came true. All my life I wanted to win Wimbledon," said Goran in a video on the official website of the Hall of Fame.

In addition to Ivanišević, other proud Hall of Fame inductees will be Conchita Martinez, the posthumously famous coach Dennis Van der Meer, and the "Original 9", more precisely the tennis players who changed women's tennis in the early 1970s and were the predecessors of the WTA Tour.

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January 28, 2020 -  Former World No. 2 tennis player Goran Ivanisevic will be inducted into the Tennis Hall of Fame as part of its Class of 2020 on July 18 this year. 

24 Sata reports that the legendary Split tennis player Goran Ivanisevic, 48, will become the first Croatian to be admitted to the Hall of Fame, the organization announced on Monday.

“This is a great honor. I am proud and humbled to become the first Croatian in the Hall of Fame. I am grateful to the committee for choosing me as well as the fans who voted for me in the poll, but also those who have supported me throughout my career, especially the many fans in Croatia. I am honored and excited to be a Hall of Famer,” said Ivanisevic.

Ivanisevic played 599 ATP tour matches from 1991 to 2004 and won 22 titles. The whole tennis world remembers Ivanisevic winning Wimbledon in 2001 against Patrick Rafter as the 125th player in the world, and as a wildcard entry, in his fourth attempt in the final. Recall, Goran had lost in 1992, 1994, and 1998.

Ivanisevic is also a two-time 1992 Olympic bronze medalist (in singles and doubles with Goran Prpic). With him, Spanish tennis player Conchita Martínez (47), the Wimbledon winner of 1994, will also be inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2020.

The @TennisHalloFame has announced that former World No. 2 & #Wimbledon champion ?? Goran Ivanisevic will be inducted as part of its Class of 2020.

Goran is the first Croatian to receive this honour. @wildcard2001

— ATP Tour (@atptour) January 28, 2020

“We are thrilled to welcome Goran Ivanisevic and Conchita Martínez to the Hall of Fame,” Smith said. “Between their accomplishments on court and the way they’ve represented themselves, their countries, and our sport, they are undoubtedly among the best of the best in tennis and are most deserving of tennis’ ultimate honor,” said International Hall of Fame President Stan Smith.

Ivanisevic is currently a part of 16-time Grand Slam champion Novak Djokovic’s coaching team. The Croatian joined Djokovic's team last year before Wimbledon.

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October 4, 2019 - After five weeks of voting by tennis enthusiasts from 120 countries, legendary Croatian tennis player Goran Ivanisevic collected the most votes from fans to enter the Tennis Hall of Fame, which would earn him an additional three percentage points in the election.

Splitski Dnevnik writes that of the four nominees, the Croatian tennis legend and 2001 Wimbledon winner finished first, garnering the largest number of fan votes.

“Croatia’s Goran Ivanisevic’s serve-and-volley style of play led him to great success on the grass courts of Wimbledon where he was a quarterfinalist once, semifinalist twice, and finalist three times, before winning the title in 2001. That year, ranked world No. 125, the big-serving lefty was granted a wildcard into the tournament. In a magical run to the trophy, he knocked out three players who were former or future world No. 1s en route to a five-set battle with Patrick Rafter in the final. Ivanišević is a two-time Olympic medalist, having won a singles bronze and doubles bronze, both in 1992,” the International Hall of Fame wrote for Goran’s nomination. 

Spanish contender Conchita Martínez finished second in the fan vote, Sweden’s Jonas Bjorkman finished third, while Sergi Bruguera finished fourth.

For winning the fan vote, Ivanisevic will receive three bonus percentage points on his results from the official voting panel comprised of journalists, historians and the Hall of Fame members. Martinez will get two bonus points and Bjorkman one.

Five weeks, thousands of fan votes from 124 nations, and the results are in!

Congratulations ?
1️⃣ Goran Ivanisevic ??
2️⃣ @conchitamartinz ??
3️⃣ @BjorkmanTennis ??

Stay tuned — Class of 2020 to be announced at Australian Open.

What’s next in process?
? https://t.co/p4sGKueozM pic.twitter.com/lLBfgMgyu8

— Tennis Hall of Fame (@TennisHalloFame) October 2, 2019

To be elected to the International Tennis Hall of Fame, a candidate must receive at least 75% of the official panel’s votes and bonus points earned through fan votes. 

The final voting results will be announced in January 2020 during the Australian Open and the selected candidate will be listed in the Hall of Fame on July 18 next year, at a special ceremony during the final weekend of the Hall of Fame Open in Newport.

"In today's digital world, sports fans know more about athletes than ever before. Because of this, it makes sense to give them a voice when determining who will be the recipient of the highest tennis honor. With votes coming from more than 120 countries, we are delighted that many tennis fans have accepted the fan vote,” said the International Tennis Hall of Fame Director Todd Martin.

So far, 257 tennis greats from 26 countries have been admitted to the International Tennis Hall of Fame, including legends such as Andre Agassi, Martina Navratilova, Chris Evert, John McEnroe, Bjorn Borg, and. Martina Hingis.

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August 22, 2019 - For the second year in a row, Croatian tennis legend Goran Ivanišević has been nominated to join the International Tennis Hall of Fame, reports HRT and the International Tennis Hall of Fame. 

In the class of 2020, his contenders will be Spaniard Sergi Bruguera, Swede Jonas Bjorkman, and the only Spanish candidate, Conchita Martinez, the institution's headquarters announced on Wednesday. 

“Throughout their careers, Conchita Martinez, Sergi Bruguera, Jonas Bjorkman, and Goran Ivanišević have systematically demonstrated their commitment to excellence. As a result, they have achieved the highest level, winning Grand Slam titles, Olympic medals, triumphs in the Davis and Fed Cups and winning top positions on the ATP and WTA lists. They have represented their countries and their sport very well, and it is my pleasure to announce their nomination for the highest honor - induction to the International Tennis Hall of Fame,” said President of the institution, Stan Smith.

All candidates are nominated for the second time, and this is the penultimate of the three opportunities to be listed among the immortals of tennis and greats that made the sport globally one of the most popular today.

The charismatic Split native and the 2001 Wimbledon winner also won two 1992 Olympic bronze medals in Barcelona. During his career, Goran Ivanišević managed to reach 2nd place in the individual ATP rankings, and in 2020, he will have a slightly easier competition than this year's elections, when China's Na Li, France's Mary Pierce and Russia's Yevgeny Kafelnikov were listed in the Hall of Fame.

Sergi Bruguera is a two-time Roland Garros winner (1993 and 1994) and silver medalist at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics, with a career-best third place in the ATP ranking. 

Jonas Bjorkman has a complete collection of Grand Slam titles in men's doubles, while in the singles he was a semifinalist at the US Open and Wimbledon. In doubles, he reached the top of the ATP ladder, and in the individual competition, he made it to No. 4. 

The only female candidate, Conchita Martinez, the 1994 Wimbledon winner, won a total of 33 singles and 13 doubles trophies. She has been a five-time member of the Spanish national team that won the Fed Cup and has three Olympic medals in the women's doubles competition. She was also a finalist in the singles competition at the Australian Open and Roland Garros.

Now that the ballot has been set for the Class of 2020, it will go before the ITHF Player Voting Group, which is comprised of tennis media, historians, and Hall of Famers. Additionally, tennis fans across the globe are encouraged to voice their opinions about who is deserving of Hall of Fame induction by taking part in the Fan Vote. Fan Voting will open on Monday, August 26 at vote.tennisfame.com, and run through September 29.

The top three vote-getters in the Fan Vote will earn bonus percentage points added to their result from the ITHF Player Voting Group. First place will receive 3 bonus percentage points, second place will receive 2, and third place will receive a bonus of 1 percentage point. To be elected into the Hall of Fame, a candidate must receive an affirmative vote of 75% or more from the Player Voting Group result or a combined total of 75% or more from the Player Voting Group result and any bonus percentage points they earn through the Fan Vote.

Goran Ivanišević was second last year, behind Li Na, but did not garner enough electorate votes.

The results of Fan Voting will be announced at the conclusion of the voting period in late September. The overall results and the complete Induction Class of 2020 will be announced in January. The 2020 Induction Ceremony will be hosted on July 18, 2020, in Newport, RI.

Located in Newport, Rhode Island, the International Tennis Hall of Fame is a non-profit organization committed to preserving and promoting the history of tennis and celebrating its greatest champions. Since its inception in 1954, the honor of Hall of Fame Induction has been granted to 257 great champions and contributors to the sport from 24 different nations.

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