‘Bull****’ – Andy Roddick calls for Serena Williams rule change that Roger Federer had to follow
Andy Roddick believes that Serena Williams should be on the ballot for the International Tennis Hall of Fame while she is still playing.
The American made her shock comeback to the sport in June after nearly four years away and ended up failing to win a solitary singles match on her return.
However, at 45, expectations for the 23-time major winner were not too high. Serena has made it clear she wants to play again next season, which appears to have consequences for her Hall of Fame chances.
Roger Federer retired in 2022 but was inducted at Newport earlier this year, and now it seems Serena will have to wait until the 2030s for that honour.
This week, former Grand Slam winners Ashleigh Barty, Juan Martin del Potro, and Svetlana Kuznetsova were nominated for the 2027 contingent, and 28-time major champion Shingo Kunieda was shortlisted in the Wheelchair Tennis Category.
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Roddick thinks all four players deserve to get into the Hall of Fame one day, with candidates needing to receive at least 75% support from the voting group of tennis media, historians, past inductees, and fans to get picked.
When it was put to the former US Open champion that Serena’s comeback has reset the clock with her long-awaited induction, Roddick clearly thought that was ridiculous.
He said on Served, “I know it’s supposed to reset the clock. Are we saying that if she plays another year, we’re going to wait for Serena to get into the Hall of Fame? Let’s say she plays through next year. So we’re going to wait until 2033 when Serena is like 50 to put her into the Hall of Fame? Bull****.
“The 2031 (induction) is if she played her last match right now. She says she’s playing next year. Let’s assume we take her at her word and so it restarts then. No way. The Hall of Fame is one of the most special places on earth, you have to go. Go to an induction, see what it means to these players.
“If you get a unanimous yes, I don’t care how long you’ve been retired. Who would have actually cared if Serena came back right now and was already in the Hall of Fame? Who would say, ‘That’s wrong, that doesn’t make any sense’. No one!”
What are the current Hall of Fame criteria rules?
According to the Hall of Fame’s website, there are three induction categories: Player, contributor, and wheelchair.
The criteria are:
- Active as a competitor in the sport within the last 20 years prior to consideration
- Not a significant factor on the ATP Tour or the WTA within five calendar years prior to election (Example: If a player stops competing consistently in 2021, then the player is eligible for induction in 2026)
- A distinguished record of competitive achievement at the highest international level
- Consideration will be given to integrity, sportsmanship, and character
- The Player Category is considered annually and there is no minimum or maximum to the number of players that can be considered
Moreover, in the 2022 Hall of Fame requirements, it reads, “Per the ITHF Policies & Procedures of Enshrinement, a player is eligible for consideration five years after they are no longer a significant factor on the ATP or WTA tour.
“Pending the determination by the Enshrinee Eligibility Committee as to the five-year time period for Serena Williams and Roger Federer, they will then be automatically included on the ballot for the determined year.”
Federer was inducted in 2026 as despite retiring in September 2022 at the Laver Cup, his last official match was 14 months earlier, meaning he met the five-years removed criteria the Hall of Fame sets out.
But with Serena, it seems Roddick wants a rule change for the Hall of Fame.
The 2027 contenders
Incidentally, Barty is a first-time nominee and during her career, the Australian won three majors and retired as the world No 1 in March 2022.
Del Potro won the 2009 US Open, he won 22 tour-level titles, helped Argentina win its first Davis Cup title in 2016, and claimed a silver medal at that year’s Rio Olympics.
He is a second-time nominee, as is former world No 2 Kuznetsova, who won two Grand Slams, 18 WTA singles titles and 16 doubles titles. She also helped Russia win three Billie Jean King Cups.
Japan star Kunieda retired in 2023, while still being the world’s No 1 player. He won 50 majors in total, spent a record 582 weeks at No 1, completed the career Grand Slam, and won four Paralympic golds.
Fan voting for the Class of 2027 have until 25 October.
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