Stich, Sukova inducted into Tennis Hall of Fame

Michael Stich and Helena Sukova are the latest inductees into the International Tennis Hall of Fame following a ceremony in Newport, Rhode Island on Saturday.

Stich, the 1991 Wimbledon champion and former world No.2, became emotional as he spoke before a crowd assembled on the centre court at Newport.

“I never wanted to become a tennis professional as a junior. I decided to finish school and just enjoy tennis. And the reason why I really played tennis was because I loved the game,” he said.

“I think for me it was the right upbringing because I would have not been ready at 15, 16 to go around the world and do tennis as a job.

"The real reason I played tennis was because I loved the game."

Welcome to the @TennisHalloFame Michael Stich. pic.twitter.com/5zLGF0F8WN

— Tennis Channel (@TennisChannel) July 21, 2018

“I’m so proud of (this achievement), I’m so honoured to be here, to be part of this family.”

Stich won 18 career titles and also captured a gold medal in doubles with Boris Becker for Germany at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics.

He retired in 1997 after reaching the Wimbledon semifinals and is now the tournament director at the ATP 500 clay-court tournament in Hamburg, his home town.

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Sukova, a former world No.4 in singles, reached two Australian Open finals and two US Open finals.

But it was in doubles where she shined brightest; the Czech won 14 Grand Slam doubles trophies (nine in women’s, five in mixed) in a 12-year span from 1985 to 1997. Seven of those 14 titles came at Wimbledon.

She came from a renowned tennis family; her mother Vera was a Wimbledon finalist in 1962 and her brother Cyril competed on the ATP tour. Together, Helena and Cyril won three Grand Slam mixed doubles titles.

“Winning in tennis always brought a special kind of excitement inside me,” she said.

“The final victory is a victory that cannot be described in words. Every experience is a combination of emotions and relaxation.”