Helena Sukova, Michael Stich enter International Tennis Hall of Fame

Newport, RI — No matter how old they are, no matter how far up the mountain they climb, inside every player is a wide-eyed child who once saw the game with awe.

It was that youthful ambition, combined with mature appreciation, that on display on Saturday when Helena Sukova and Michael Stich entered the International Tennis Hall of Fame.

For Sukova, tennis was far from a solo act. Her mother, Vera, was a Wimbledon singles finalist in 1962 who captained Czechoslovakia’s Fed Cup team, including to a 1975 title starring a promising lefty named Martina Navratilova. She died in 1982 at the age of 50.

Sukova's father Cyril was president of the Czechoslovakian Tennis Federation. Sukova's brother, Cyril, was also a world class player and the sibling duo won three Grand Slam mixed doubles titles together.

But Helena Sukova went the furthest in her family. She won 14 Grand Slam doubles titles, played in four major singles finals and was a part of four champion Fed Cup squads. She holds her nation's record for most total Fed Cup wins with 57 and most ties played with 54. At the 1993 US Open, she reached all three finals, winning the women’s doubles and mixed titles, and losing in the singles final to Steffi Graf.

“Any games we ever played, she always had to win," Cyril Sukova said, as he presented his older sister. “By the way, she was a terrible loser. I have to say that because she was a great competitor, that's why she became one of the best tennis players to ever play the game of tennis.”

Sukova received her Hall of Fame jacket from a fellow Czech inductee, 1973 Wimbledon champion Jan Kodes.

“I stand here as a representative of women's tennis and the most important person for me is my mom Vera," Helena Sukova said. "Being a Wimbledon singles finalist, a Top-5 player, she will forever be a tennis legend. Her overall abilities and knowledge of the sport resulted in her being one of the most recognized coaches in the world. Additionally, her kindness opened doors for myself in places I visited for the first time long after her.”

Stich’s finest hour came when he won Wimbledon in 1991.  In only the second title run of his career, the German showed the world an incredibly elegant and powerful serve, crisp groundstrokes and pinpoint volleys. Along the way, Stich took out two titans who had won five of the last six Wimbledon crowns, Stefan Edberg and Boris Becker.

Other great moments in Stich’s career include: finalist efforts at the US Open in ’94 and French Open in ’96, a doubles victory at Wimbledon in ’92 with John McEnroe, Olympic gold with Becker that same summer and being a key member of Germany’s Davis Cup winning team in ’93.

“The reason I played tennis is because I loved the game,” Stich said. “It was not because I wanted to be professional, because I didn't know what it meant. Some players at Wimbledon play tennis, how do they get there, how do they book a hotel, get into the tournament, all that stuff? I had no clue.”

The day prior to the ceremony, just after taking a tour of the Hall of Fame’s museum, Stich said he had thoughts in his head and people he wanted to praise. But, true to his creative, all-court style, he admitted his speech would be like his game style: open and improvisational.

Stich delivered on his promise, beginning with an emotional pause and that—with awareness for the coolness with which he had won so many matches—on this day, his heart was beating loudly.

“That is the great thing about our sport, about tennis, that it's not all about winning or losing,” Stich said. “It's about the people that make all that possible, the people that are behind the scenes, people that are on the court that make you feel secure and at home. This is over generations.”

Prior to this week, Sukova and Stich had never been to Newport and the International Tennis Hall of Fame. But over the course of one July afternoon, they’d each brilliantly captured its essence.

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