Follow us on Google Discover Gigi Fernandez has called out the Grand Slams for their treatment of former players, and she has even revealed her own examples.
Fernandez reached a career-high singles ranking of world number 17, but her greatest success came on the doubles court.
The Puerto Rico-born player, who represented the USA, won 17 Grand Slam doubles, two Olympic gold medals and was also world number one for 80 weeks in her decorated career.
Fernandez retired in 1997 and was subsequently inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame 13 years later, but she has criticised the way that she has seen former players treated.
Photo by Joe Buglewicz/Getty Images for International Tennis Hall of FameGigi Fernandez criticises tennis for how it treats its legends once they retire
Fernandez has been speaking on the Inside-In podcast about her current passions and life after tennis, and very early on in the episode she spoke out against the way Grand Slams treat their former players.
The now 61-year-old explained how different Grand Slams treat players, and Fernandez also spoke about the first time she returned to the US Open after retiring, before giving the major tournaments advice as to what she thinks needs improving.
“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,” claimed Fernandez. “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. But that’s one of my missions in the Hall of Fame is to like change that, you know, and like to give you an example, 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.”
Fernandez added, “…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.
“So, you know, I’ve had a beef where they run Slams for 15 years about having a Hall of Famer badge. 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.
“You know, Michael C[hang] 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.
“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.”
Who will be inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame next year?
The International Tennis Hall of Fame ceremony takes place every year, and sees both players and journalists being honoured for their achievements.
This year saw five-time Grand Slam champion Maria Sharapova inducted into the Hall of Fame, alongside the Bryan brothers.
The nominees for 2026 have also been announced, with the Player Category featuring none other than 20-time Grand Slam champion Roger Federer, former world number one Svetlana Kuznetsova and 2009 US Open champion Juan Martin del Potro.
Alongside experts and journalists, fans will be available to vote for their pick to be inducted, but a former top 30 player believes Del Potro should not be in the Tennis Hall of Fame.
While in the Contributor Category, former WTA player turned broadcaster Mary Carillo and former USTA Executive Director Marshall Happer are the two nominees.