For many fans, Gigi Fernandez’s name is synonymous with doubles dominance—a 17-time Grand Slam champion who carved out one of the most decorated careers in tennis history. But behind the glittering trophies and unforgettable victories lies a sobering truth about what happens once the cheer fades. Recently, the 64-year-old Puerto Rico-born American legend lifted the curtain on a side of tennis rarely discussed: how the sport’s biggest stages treat their former stars.

It started with a simple yet stinging admission during a recent episode of the Inside-In Tennis Podcast. She called out the Grand Slams for their treatment of former players, and she has even revealed her own examples. “You know, when you retire from tennis, like, I think tennis… I mean, this might be controversial, but I think that tennis does a terrible job of welcoming back its past champions. Like, once you leave the game, you’re kind of forgotten, and off you go. If you’re like me, you end up getting voted into the Hall of Fame, then I think you’re back into good graces.” She then went on to recall her own disheartening experience when she first returned to the US Open as a spectator.

Gigi Fernandez retired from the professional tour in 1997 at the age of 33. Ever since retiring, she has been a tennis coach, entrepreneur, and philanthropist. Fernandez loves to combine her two passions, tennis and travel, and offers unique tennis experiences to tennis aficionados. But while recalling her experience from the first visit to the US Open after her retirement, she revealed, “The first time I went to the US Open, and I was not a player, a player guest, and I had to go to the bathroom. I had to go stand in line and outside Court 7 bleachers and go. And this is four years after I retired, right, so I was still recognisable.”

The Grand Slams, she said, have fallen short when it comes to honoring or even acknowledging players who helped build their legacy. She has now called for a change in the way Grand Slams treat their legends. She highlighted the importance of better access and recognition for Hall of Famers and former champions by saying, “It’s a problem, though, it really is, because there’s only, you know, there’s only 80 living Hall of Famers, that’s it, and probably 30 don’t travel. They’re too old or not, you know, sort of not in space where they can travel.” She also spoke about how she had a beef where they run Slams for 15 years about having a Hall of Fame badge.

Her suggestion to the authorities involved in all these was, “There should be a Hall of Famer badge and the Hall of Famer, because the problem also too, if you think of a Hall of Famer, it’s like if you win the singles at whatever event, you have carte blanche, like you win Wimbledon.” She spoke about the inconsistencies across the major tournaments by giving an example of another tennis legend, Michael Chang.

Fernandez said, “You know, Michael [Chang] goes back to Wimbledon; he’s a Grand Slam champion, obviously won Wimbledon, carte blanche. He goes to the US Open, he has no access, French Open no access, Australian Open.” So, for Gigi Fernandez, the issue isn’t just personal; it’s systemic. She highlighted how, unlike in golf or basketball, where legends are routinely honored and integrated into major events, tennis often leaves its retired icons on the sidelines.

Her words struck a chord with fans and former players alike. But having said that, she also didn’t forget to acknowledge the progress at the French Open. “French Open just gave us access. French Open just gave all past players access to the president’s suite. So now I feel like I can go back to the French Open and enjoy myself, you basically stop going to these tournaments,” said Gigi Fernandez.

While current stars enjoy global fame and lucrative endorsements, Fernandez’s reflections remind the tennis world that legacy isn’t just built in the moment—it’s sustained by memory. And if tennis wants to keep its rich history alive, perhaps it’s time for the sport’s biggest stages to start looking back with the same passion they show for what’s next. 

Let’s now take a look at the legacy created by Gigi Fernandez in women’s tennis and explore when she was finally inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame.

Gigi Fernandez’s incredible contribution to the tennis world

Born on February 22, 1964, in San Juan, Puerto Rico, Beatriz “Gigi” Fernandez won 17 major doubles titles and 2 Olympic gold medals representing the ‘Stars and Stripes’. In singles, her highest rank was 17, but in doubles, she became the world number one on March 4, 1991. Ever since retiring from the sport, she has been actively participating in various processes to uplift the sport as a whole. Her doubles program, The Gigi Method, teaches players of all levels of art and science of doubles.

Other than that, Fernandez founded Tennis for Hope after her house flooded during Hurricane Helene to help people in the tennis community affected by that natural disaster. Her invaluable contributions to the sport, both on and off the court, have been recognized time and again by prestigious awards. For example, two years after her retirement, i.e., in 1999, she was named Puerto Rico’s ‘Female Athlete of the Century.’ Then, on July 12, 2010, she was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame with Zvereva.

Nine years after that, Gigi Fernandez received the Hall of Fame ring at the USTA Annual Meeting hosted in Austin, Texas. The Hall of Fame has a tradition of presenting Hall of Famers with an official ring to commemorate the honor. However, the rings are not generally presented at the induction ceremony; rather, it’s saved and presented at a place of particular meaning to the Hall of Famer and their fans. 

After receiving a standing ovation for that, she said, “I really wanted to receive this ring here, because you all are the reason that I am back in tennis and that I have really rediscovered my passion for the sport. Thank you.” Every year, we get to see different tennis legends being inducted into the Tennis Hall of Fame. Last time, Maria Sharapova and the Bryan brothers joined this list. Who has made it onto the list in the next edition?

This time, Roger Federer leads the list of nominees for the International Tennis Hall of Fame’s class of 2026. He’s joined by two-time major singles champion Svetlana Kuznetsova and the 2009 US Open champion Juan Martín del Potro in that list of nominees.

The inductees will be announced in November itself. So, we’ll have to wait a bit to know who gets the nod this time. But the question is, will Federer also receive a similar fate to most other tennis legends? Gigi Fernandez stood up for herself, for her peers, and for every forgotten champion who once carried tennis into greatness. Let’s keep our fingers crossed and hope for a change in the tennis world.