Lendl, Rose Voted Into Tennis Hall
Feb. 14, 2001 -- Ivan Lendl, a Grand Slam champion, former Davis Cup hero andbusy tennis parent, will now be a Hall of Famer, too.
Lendl and Mervyn Rose, an Australian star from the 1950s, willbe inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame on July 14.Their elections were announced Tuesday.
"It's the ultimate honor in the game," said Lendl, who woneight major titles and was ranked No. 1 for 157 consecutive weeksin the 1980s. "The ceremony in July will be a great closure to mycareer and a part of my life which is over now."
Still Bothered by Back Pain
Lendl, 40, has kept a low profile since retiring in 1994.Bothered by a bad back, he restricts his tennis to practice withhis children. Four of his five kids, all 10 and younger, play theNew England tournament circuit.
"They're still very young, so I don't have to do much moving,"he said. "I don't play because No. 1, my back hurts, and No. 2, Ican't hit the ball the way I would like. It's too frustrating, andI feel there's no need to put myself through it."
Lendl, who was born in Czechoslovakia and became a U.S. citizenin 1992, won 94 singles titles and spent 270 weeks at No. 1. Hereached eight consecutive U.S. Open finals, winning in 1985-86-87.He won the French Open three times and the Australian Open twice.
Lendl had a 10-0 record in Davis Cup matches, including doubles,and led Czechoslovakia to its only title in 1980.
"Every kid when they're starting, they have their dreams," hesaid. "It was a dream of mine as a kid to be the best player inCzechoslovakia and the best in the world. I was fortunate enoughthat my dream came true."
Never Won Wimbledon
In rivalries with Jimmy Connors and John McEnroe, Lendl morethan held his own, but he never won Wimbledon. He was runner-uptwice and lost in the semifinals five times in his sport's biggestevent.
"Obviously I would have liked to have won Wimbledon," he said."There's no secret about it. …
"I certainly did not enjoy losing, no matter where or when.There were matches that were absolutely meaningless, exhibitions Ilost, and I had a hard time resting the night after that. It meantsomebody played or prepared better than I did."
Now living in Goshen, Conn., Lendl devotes his time to familyand golf, which doesn't bother his back. He enjoys watching anoccasional tennis match on TV and was impressed by the quality ofplay in Andre Agassi's semifinal victory over Pat Rafter at theAustralian Open last month.
Game Has Changed
The skill of the players on the men's tour has changed a lot inthe past few years, Lendl said.
"The power of the game, the strength, the talent, theathleticism they have has improved. They have more shots and arenot afraid to go for their shots. The progress of the game is goingin huge leaps. They're better athletes with better training andbetter coaching. I'm impressed with how great they are."
Rose was a member of Australia's 1951 and '52 Davis Cupchampions and won the 1954 Australian and 1958 French titles. Healso won four doubles Grand Slam title.
Both inductees said they hope to attend the enshrinementceremony at the Hall of Fame in Newport, R.I.