China’s Li Na, France’s Mary Pierce and Russia’s Yevgeny Kafelnikov were inducted into the Tennis Hall of Fame on Monday, January 21 as the Class of 2019.

Li Na, who won the 2011 French Open and the 2014 Australian Open, is the first player from Asia to clinch the singles title at a major. She won nine WTA titles in her trailblazing career and was pivotal to the exponential growth of tennis in her country over the last half decade.

Congratulations to the International Tennis Hall of Fame Class of 2019! 👏👏👏 🇨🇳 Li Na

🇫🇷 Mary Pierce

🇷🇺 Yevgeny Kafelnikov pic.twitter.com/HcB4G1EK8X — Tennis Hall of Fame (@TennisHalloFame) January 20, 2019

“I’m incredibly honoured to become a Hall of Famer. I love tennis and am grateful for all the opportunity it has provided me,” Li Na said, as quoted by WTA.

“I have loved seeing the sport grow in China and I’m proud to be part of that history. To have my career and China’s growing tennis history be recognized at the International Tennis Hall of Fame is a great honour and I’m humbled and grateful. I look forward to the celebration in Newport this year and to becoming a Hall of Famer.”

What an incredible honor ! Thank you to everyone who voted for me ! Much love 🤗 ❤️ 🙏🏻 https://t.co/yOTaaxv7e9 — Mary Pierce (@_MaryPierce) January 21, 2019

Pierce, a four-time Grand Slam champion – two each in singles and doubles – added that it was a “humbling and gratifying” experience to be elected into the Hall of Fame.

“I’m very honoured to become a Hall of Famer and to represent Russia among tennis’ greatest champions,” said Kafelnikov, as quoted by tennis.com. The former World No.1 won the 1996 French Open and the 1999 Australian Open, while also clinching the Davis Cup for Russia in 2002.

The International Tennis Hall of Fame was founded in 1954 to honour individuals who have made special contributions to the sport. Germany’s Michael Stich and Czech Republic’sHelena Suková were inducted into it in the Class of 2018.