“Winning the Infosys Hall of Fame Open in 2021 was a special moment for me. I couldn’t think of a better place to make my comeback, and I’m excited to hit the grass once again.” Welcome back @KAndersonATP 💪
Amid the European Clay Court season beginning, the grass court portion of the ATP Tour is not yet over it seems.
Attention next turns to the USA with the US Open the next Grand Slam in late August but there will be the conclusion of the grass court season as ever in the Hall of Fame Open in Newport.
Taking place between 17-23 July, it is a tennis tournament that has taken place every year in July since 1976 and sees the Hall of Fame ceremony take place too.
2021 winner at the Hall of Fame Open, Kevin Anderson seemed to lose his love for tennis and didn't want a grand send off losing in Miami last year.
But in a sudden u-turn at Wimbledon, Anderson entered the Hall of Fame Open and at the age of 37 will come out of retirement to play at his last tournament win.
The former two time Grand Slam finalist will play on Monday evening in Rhode Island and will be one of the leading lights.
“When I retired, it was tough. I was dealing with a lot of physical pain. Just a lot of parts of the body were really making it difficult to compete the way I wanted to, but also emotionally and mentally it was very challenging and I felt like I needed to stop playing,” Anderson said.
“When I retired I didn’t know if I was going to play again or not. Most of last year I wasn’t planning to. But a couple months ago I started hitting again and just really enjoyed being out there.
“My body felt much better and what I was doing with the tennis ball was really exciting to me and made me want to challenge myself again. I didn’t know if I’d have that opportunity but fortunately Newport has given me one, so I wanted to go out there and play again.”
Also involved over the next week include Tommy Paul, Adrian Mannarino and Mackenzie McDonald.
As ever, it is mainly an American based field but technically the last winner of the grass court season will be crowned over the next week in Newport.
“Winning the Infosys Hall of Fame Open in 2021 was a special moment for me. I couldn’t think of a better place to make my comeback, and I’m excited to hit the grass once again.” Welcome back @KAndersonATP 💪