Muster, Bartoli, more worthy of Hall of Fame bids

“It’s an honor just to be nominated…”

Last week, the International Tennis Hall of Fame released its list of contenders for induction in 2021, with Lleyton Hewitt, Juan Carlos Ferrero, Jonas Bjorkman, Lisa Raymond and Sergi Bruguera among the nominees.

Eligibility for a spot on the ballot comes five years after a player retires, among other criteria. Here’s a look at five Grand Slam champions who haven’t been nominated yet, but with their credentials, should eventually gain some consideration. (Photos: Getty Images)

1

Thomas Muster

In between Bjorn Borg and Rafael Nadal, there was another who held the “King of Clay” title. For close to a decade, the Austrian dominated on the surface, winning 40 of his 44 career singles titles on the slippery stuff. Though he only claimed one major, the 1995 French Open, it came in the midst of one of the game’s longest winning streaks on a single surface. And among his many other accomplishments, Muster also reached the top of the rankings and came out on top at eight Masters events—on hard courts and carpet, as well as clay.

2

Marion Bartoli

In 2007, the Frenchwoman with the unconventional game reached her first Grand Slam final at Wimbledon, solidifying her status in the sport as a contender. Ranking among the top 20—and even cracking the top 10—over the bulk of the ensuing years, Bartoli entered the 2013 edition of the grass-court major as the 15th seed and proceeded to have the tournament of her life, winning every match in straight sets to take the title. With the burden of claiming one of tennis’ biggest prizes lifted, she decided to retire right after at the age of 28, with eight singles overall and a dream fulfilled.

3

Paola Suarez

The nominations of Bjorkman and Raymond this year open the door for other singles-doubles threats to be looked at, and a candidate who fits that bill is definitely Suarez. From 2000 to 2006, the Argentinean reached 14 Grand Slam doubles finals with Virginia Ruano Pascual of Spain, and won eight of those championship matches. She reached the top spot of the doubles rankings in 2002 and two years later, broke through in singles, peaking at No. 9 in the world.

4

Carlos Moya

At the 2007 Australian Open, the 20-year-old from Mallorca, Spain, continued his rapid rise up the rankings with a run to the final. A year later, he was a Grand Slam champion, winning the French Open over his countryman, Alex Corretja. Reaching the No. 1 spot in March 1999 and holding it for two weeks, Moya would go on to enjoy solid success on the court for much of his career, with his powerful baseline game translating well on both clay and hard courts.

5

Dinara Safina

Who knows what would have happened with the Russian’s career if injuries hadn’t hampered her progress? Safina is arguably the best player, male or female, never to win a singles major: She reached the No. 1 ranking and finished as a runner-up at three Grand Slams—twice at the French Open and once in Melbourne. Safina won 12 titles in singles and reached another 12 finals, with a Silver Medal at the Olympics among those accomplishments. And she wasn’t bad at doubles, either, winning the 2007 US Open and cracking the top 10 in that discipline, too.