ESTHER VERGEER AND RICK DRANEY RECEIVE ITHF RINGS AT US OPEN
Photo credit: Garrett Ellwood/USTA
Hall of Famers Esther Vergeer and Rick Draney were honored on Friday night at the US Open in a special ceremony to present their International Tennis Hall of Fame rings.
Vergeer and Draney, both former US Open champions in wheelchair tennis, received their rings on Arthur Ashe Stadium Court prior to the men’s semifinal match between Carlos Alcaraz and Daniil Medvedev. The ITHF rings are custom made for each Hall of Famer, signifying their membership in tennis' most elite club.
The ceremony marked a special opportunity for the two members of the Hall of Fame’s Class of 2023 to be recognized by the New York fans less than two months after their induction celebrations in Newport, R.I. Vergeer and Draney were presented their rings by fellow Hall of Famer Stan Smith, who was joined on court by Dan Faber, CEO of the ITHF, Dr. Brian Hainline, Chairman of the Board and President of the USTA, Stacey Allaster, US Open Tournament Director, and Megan Rose, Managing Director of Major Events for the USTA.
Vergeer, who captured six singles titles and another eight doubles titles in Flushing Meadows, said: “I’m honored. I’m flattered. I think this is a big moment for wheelchair tennis as a whole, and I hope you all will watch and support wheelchair tennis in the future, because the future of wheelchair tennis looks very bright. I'm very honored that I'm a little bit a part of that.”
Vergeer is the one of the most decorated wheelchair tennis athletes in history as a 21-time singles Grand Slam champion, 13-time ITF World Champion and four-time Paralympic gold medalist in singles. For 668-uninterrupted weeks spanning from October 2000 to January 2013, she topped the world rankings, and retired with a singles winning streak of 470 victories. Vergeer additionally won 23 Grand Slam titles and four Paralympic medals. In all, she captured 169 singles titles, 136 doubles titles, and posted a singles career winning percentage of 96 percent.
Draney won seven US Open singles titles between 1985 and 1997, when the event was part of the International Tennis Federation’s wheelchair tennis Super Series. Following his competitive career, he went on to serve for nine years as Tournament Committee Chairperson of the US Open Wheelchair Tennis Championships.
“What a thrill to be here. It's beyond belief,” said Draney. “I'm so thrilled, so honored, so grateful for everybody. I don't want this to end, but it has been a thrill and I'm honored to be a member of the International Tennis Hall of Fame.”
A three-time ITF year-end world No. 1 in quad singles, Draney was instrumental in the growth and professionalism of the Quad Division of wheelchair tennis. During his career, which began in 1984, he captured 12 singles and six doubles titles at the Super Series level, prior to the advent of the Grand Slam level. For his career, Draney spent a total of 289 weeks in the singles top 10 of the Quad Division computerized rankings, including 118 weeks at No. 1, and an additional 302 weeks in the doubles top 10 (102 weeks at No. 1).
ESTHER VERGEER AND RICK DRANEY INDUCTED INTO THE ITHFOn Saturday, July 22nd 2023 Esther Vergeer and Rick Draney received The Ultimate Honor in Tennis, induction into the International Tennis Hall of Fame.
