Shingo Kunieda has been named to the ballot for the International Tennis Hall of Fame’s Class of 2027, Reuters reported. The wheelchair division is considered for induction every four years.
Achievements Secure Ballot Inclusion
Kunieda secured his place on the upcoming ballot following a career defined by dominance in wheelchair tennis. He captured 28 Grand Slam singles titles and 22 doubles titles, totaling 50 major championships. Alongside his career Grand Slam—winning all four major tournaments—he earned Paralympic gold medals to complete the career Golden Slam. He held the world number one singles ranking for a record 582 cumulative weeks.
The ballot is set for the Class of 2027 🏆🎾 Ash Barty, Svetlana Kuznetsova and Juan Martín del Potro have been named to the ballot in the Player Category, with Shingo Kunieda in the Wheelchair Tennis Category. Learn more about the nominees: https://t.co/sHl15P2Lcm pic.twitter.com/zXCcxSm00i
The International Tennis Hall of Fame announced the full nominee list on September 19, 2026. The player category also features former men’s world number three Juan Martin del Potro of Argentina. Del Potro won 22 ATP Tour titles, highlighted by his 2009 US Open victory where he defeated Rafael Nadal in the semifinals and Roger Federer in the final to end Federer’s five-year reign at Flushing Meadows.
Nominees in the Women’s Category
The women’s ballot includes Australia’s Ashleigh Barty, who spent 121 weeks as the world number one. Barty won the French Open in 2019, Wimbledon in 2021, and the Australian Open in 2022. Svetlana Kuznetsova of Russia also joins the list, having won two major singles titles and two major doubles titles during a career that yielded 18 singles trophies, 16 doubles titles, and career-high rankings of number two in singles and number three in doubles.
Voting Procedures and Thresholds
Fan voting for the player category runs through October 25. The outcome of the public vote translates into bonus points added to the tallies submitted by the official voting group, which consists of tennis journalists, historians, and Hall of Fame members. Candidates must achieve a combined total of 75% or higher from the official voting group and the fan vote bonus to earn induction.
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