NEWPORT, R.I. (AP) — Esther Vergeer put up eye-popping numbers during her career in wheelchair tennis, piling them up as the sport grew and became a Grand Slam event.
Now, her accomplishments will be on display forever after she was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame on Saturday during a 45-minute ceremony on grass courts just outside the museum.
"Tennis transformed me into the very essence of who I am today," said Vergeer, who suffered from a series of strokes as a child, and an operation to address an abnormality in her spinal cord blood supply left her legs paralyzed.
"A testament to the power of perseverance, resilience and determination," she told the crowd. "This moment is not mine alone. It reflects the unlimited support and dedication and love that has surrounded me throughout my tennis career."
A 21-time Grand Slam singles champion and seven-time Paralympic gold medalist, Vergeer held the No. 1 spot in the world rankings for 668 weeks from 2000-13 and won 470 straight singles matches. She won 96% of her singles matches overall, and also claimed 136 doubles titles.