Brad Gilbert calls out the Tennis Hall of Fame for continuously ignoring one legend who should be inducted

Ashleigh Barty, Svetlana Kuznetsova, and Juan Martin del Potro have all been nominated for the Tennis Hall of Fame.

Wheelchair tennis legend Shingo Kunieda, a 28-time major champion, has also been nominated for the class of 2027. In 2026, Roger Federer, Del Potro, Kuznetsova, broadcaster Mary Carillo, and administrator Marshall Happer were nominated. Federer and Carillo were inducted into the Hall of Fame in August.

But who will be inducted this year, and who has been unfairly left off the list of nominees? Iconic tennis coach Brad Gilbert answered both questions during the latest episode of ‘The Big T Podcast‘.

Brad Gilbert calls out the Tennis Hall of Fame for not inducting ‘legendary coach’ Dick Gould

“I’m disappointed that he never gets on the ballot as a contributor. I don’t think coaches should be contributors; they should get in. Dick Gould, the legendary coach of Stanford University, who they did honour at the US Open; there were about 50 of his former players there,” said Gilbert.

“I feel like he should have been in 20 years ago, and he’s still not on the ballot. So if the HOF is listening to me, Dick Gould needs to be on the ballot; forget that, he needs to be in, so put him on there. I write him in every year on my vote, even though he’s not on the ballot!”

Gould, 89, coached Stanford University to 17 NCAA team championships. He coached John and Patrick McEnroe and is widely regarded as one of the greatest coaches of all time. Gould hasn’t been inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame, although he did receive the Tennis Educational Merit Award in 1982.

Gilbert then delivered his verdict on the three singles nominees, Barty, Del Potro, and Kuznetsova. The American argued that one of the three was ‘for sure deserving’ of a Hall of Fame spot.

“Delpo is the what-if with all the injuries; he’s only got one [Grand Slam]. Ash Barty of those three is probably the only one that’s for sure deserving,” he said.

“Kuze [Svetlana Kuznetsova]? Two Slams, one as a teenager; she had braces when she won the US Open!” argued Andrea Petkovic, Gilbert’s podcast co-host.

“It’s a tough one; you could make a case for all three of them, but I can definitely say that Ash Barty will get in,” said Gilbert.

Barty is the only nominee to have been ranked number one, having held the top spot for 121 weeks, placing her eighth on the all-time list. She has also won four Grand Slam titles, including three in singles.

Kuznetsova never reached world number one, but did win four majors, two in doubles and two in singles. She also won three more singles titles than the Australian.

Del Potro, despite winning more singles titles than both his WTA counterparts, arguably had the weakest career. However, many believe the Argentine would have achieved much more had he stayed fit.

2027 International Tennis Hall of Fame nominees

Only time will tell who will be inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame, but you can’t help but feel like Barty is the runaway favourite.

How fans can influence which players get inducted into the Hall of Fame

Fans may not realise that they have a say in who is inducted into the Hall of Fame. A fan vote is held each year, and players with the most votes receive a 3% boost in their bid to clear the 75% threshold; the second-most receive 2%, and the third-most receive 1%.

On the official International Tennis Hall of Fame fan vote website, they explain how fan votes can push eligible players over the line to be inducted.

“So, if a candidate gets 80% in the ITHF Voting Group and wins the Fan Vote, their total vote will be 83%. Because this is higher than 75%, they will be elected to the Hall of Fame. If a person received 74% affirmative votes in the ITHF Voting Group and comes in second place in the Fan Vote, they’ll get a 2% bonus, bringing their total vote to 76%, and they will be elected to the Hall of Fame,” they wrote.

Del Potro is currently leading the fan vote, ahead of Barty in second, and Kuznetsova in third. The vote closes in three days.