Maria Sharapova may have stepped off the tennis courts in 2020, but she hasn’t stepped out of the limelight. The former tennis sensation continues to captivate fans and grab headlines with every new achievement she racks up. And this time, it’s a big one—her well-deserved induction into the Tennis Hall of Fame. Wishes and congratulations have been pouring in from every corner of the tennis world. But amid the cheers and accolades, a new wave of demands has emerged—especially from someone who knows a thing or two about tennis strategy and success: Coco Gauff’s former coach, Brad Gilbert.

Known for his sharp takes, Gilbert has once again entered the fray and shared that there are more players, especially in the doubles category, who deserve to be honored with a similar feat like Sharapova and Bryan Brothers. Remember, the International Tennis Hall of Fame announced on Thursday that the Russian sensation and the American former players, would be inducted to the class of 2025 and enter the glorious club. 

Expressing himself about this, Gilbert took to his X and wrote, “there  are a lot of doubles players on the men’s side who are definitely worthy of HOF.”  He shared the names of former ATP stars who have failed to witness much limelight since their retirement. “Fleming Flach Seguso Leach. Nestor is a no brainer in my humble opinion,” Gilbert wrote further. 

While Rick Leach, Peter Fleming, Robert Seguso, and Ken Flach are former American players, Daniel Nestor represented Canada during his career. For the unversed, all these players have attained the World No. 1 ranking in the doubles category at some point in their respective careers. Nestor amassed 91 doubles titles in his career and won in 8 Grand Slam doubles events. He also emerged victorious in the doubles category of the Olympic Games in 2000. Similarly, Peter Fleming has garnered 7 doubles Grand Slams in his career and 60 titles overall while playing doubles. The records are no less for other players either. 

Rick Leach won a total of 46 titles in his doubles career and emerged victorious in 5 Grand Slam events. Flach and Seguso, meanwhile, won 4 Grand Slams each and amassed 34 and 29 titles throughout their doubles career. These remarkable achievements of the players prompted Gilbert to demand equal honor for the players.  But for now, the spotlight is on Maria Sharapova. And the star player herself could not contain her gratefulness as she penned an emotional message for her fans.

“Look at what we have achieved,” Maria Sharapova expresses her gratefulness to fans

The Russian tennis sensation witnessed a remarkable achievement after being named to the Tennis Hall of Fame on the back of her successful tennis career. For those unaware, Maria Sharapova won 5 Grand Slams across all three surfaces. She was also the silver medalist in the Olympic games of 2012. The Russian star also clinched the world No. 1 spot for the first time in 2005 at the young age of 18 and became the first Russian woman to top the singles rankings. And now, as she receives the grand honor, she couldn’t be more thankful.

After the announcement, Sharapova penned an emotional message on X and wrote, “Incredibly grateful to receive this honor. A big thank you to The Hall of Fame, and to all the voters.” Continuing further, Sharapova expressed her gratefulness to all those who supported her throughout her career. “Most importantly, this recognition is such a beautiful reminder of the deep appreciation I have for my fans. Each one of you made me reach for the stars and look at what we have achieved together. Thank you,” she added.

As Sharapova prepares to take her place among tennis legends, it’s clear that the excitement surrounding her career is far from over. It will now be interesting to see if more such demands like that from Gilbert gain attention going forward.