On Sunday, the Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) officially welcomed Bob Bryan, Mike Bryan, Mike Franks, Patrick Galbraith, Brian Hainline and Peter Smith to the Men’s Collegiate Tennis Hall of Fame in Lake Nona, Florida. The six most recent inductees are the 36th class of inductees into the Male Hall of Fame.
During the event, family, friends and the tennis community came together to honor the Class of 2023 and hear from ITA CEO Tim Russell, ITA Chairman of the Board Jon Vegosen and ITA Men’s Hall of Fame curator John Frierson.
“It’s always nice to be here. The last time we did it was in 2019 in the same room,” said John Frierson. “The people are what makes the Hall of Fame special, and it’s great to have everyone here. I’m looking forward to a repeat in two years’ time.”
Those present at the induction ceremony also listened to the class of 2023.
“We learned a lot of lessons from Coach (Dick) Gould. One of them was to improve every day and never be satisfied. We took that to heart on the tour,” said Bob Bryan.
“23 years on the road, 1,500 games, I don’t think we would have had that much success and longevity without college tennis. We are very grateful to college tennis,” said Mike Bryan.
“I believe we are in such a special place in tennis. The USTA, ITA and NCAA are collaborating like never before. In fact, the tennis world has never been more united,” said Brian Hainline.
“I’ve always felt that this is what I should be doing in life. It has always felt so natural to me,” said Peter Smith. “I always thought I was the happiest man in the world. I really believed it. When you train with me, especially in times like these, you just feel like you were sent to earth for that.”
Introducing its first class in 1983 and a total of over 280 tennis greats, the ITA Men’s Hall of Fame boasts recognition from College Tennis players, coaches and associates. The next induction into the Male Hall of Fame will take place in 2025, with nominations opening in 2024.
To view photos from the event, click on the link below. Feature films about each participant can be found on the ITA YouTube channel, which is also linked below.
