Former Coco Gauff coach Brad Gilbert rekindles spotlight on forgotten tennis legend in light of Maria Sharapova’s Hall of Fame induction – EssentiallySports

Maria Sharapova may have stepped off the tennis courts in 2020, but she hasn’t stepped out of the spotlight. The former tennis sensation continues to captivate fans and grab headlines with each 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 are pouring in from every corner of the tennis world. But amid the applause and praise came a new wave of demands — 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 hitting, Gilbert re-entered the fray and said there are other players, especially in the doubles category, who deserve to be honored with a similar achievement like Sharapova and the Bryan Brothers. Remember, the International Tennis Hall of Fame announced on Thursday that the Russian sensation and former American players will be inducted into the class of 2025 and enter the illustrious club.

Commenting on this, Gilbert took his X and wrote: “there are plenty of doubles players on the men’s side who are definitely 💯 HOF worthy.” He shared the names of former ATP stars who have not been able to witness the limelight since their retirement. “Fleming Flach Seguso Leach. In my humble opinion, Nestor is 💯 pointless,” Gilbert writes further.

While Rick Leach, Peter Fleming, Robert Seguso and Ken Flach are former American players, Daniel Nestor represented Canada during his career. For the uninitiated, all of these players have reached the world No. 1 doubles ranking at some point in their respective careers. Nestor accumulated 91 doubles titles in his career and won 8 Grand Slam doubles tournaments. He also emerged victorious in the doubles category at the 2000 Olympics. Similarly, Peter Fleming won 7 Grand Slam doubles tournaments in his career and a total of 60 titles while playing doubles. The records are no less for the other players.

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

“Look what we have achieved,” Maria Sharapova expressed her gratitude to the fans

The Russian tennis sensation witnessed a remarkable achievement after being inducted into the Tennis Hall of Fame on the back of her successful tennis career. For those who don’t know, Maria Sharapova has won 5 Grand Slams on all three surfaces. She was also a silver medalist at the 2012 Olympics. The Russian star also captured the world No. 1 for the first time in 2005 at the age of 18, becoming the first Russian woman to top the singles rankings. And now that she’s getting the big honor, she couldn’t be more grateful.

After the announcement, Sharapova wrote an emotional message to X and wrote: “Incredibly grateful to receive this honor. A big thank you to the Hall of Fame and to all the voters.” Moving on, Sharapova expressed her gratitude to everyone who has supported her throughout her career. “Most importantly, this recognition is such a beautiful reminder of the deep appreciation I have for my fans. Each and every one of you has made me reach for the stars and see what we have accomplished 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 similar requests like this one from Gilbert gain attention going forward.