Will Carlos Moya and Elena Dementieva Join The Immortals?

In the past few weeks, two of pro tennis’ most accomplished players for more than a decade have hung up their racquets: Elena Dementieva on the women’s side and Carlos Moya for the men. Between them, they’ve won Grand Slam titles, Olympic medals and close to 40 singles titles.

But if you were to look ahead five years in the future, will they be standing together in Newport, Rhode Island, ready for induction into the International Tennis Hall of Fame?

The answer’s yes. Wait a minute, no. Well, maybe …

Despite their lengthy success, neither one was ever considered a dominant player—even Moya, who made it to number one in the rankings back in 1999. Here’s a closer look at their achievements and thoughts on the players, as well as how they stack up against comparable players in the Hall:

Carlos Moya

Turned Pro: 1995

Career-High Ranking: 1 (1999)

Highlights: 1997 Australian Open finalist (the first male Spaniard to make a hard-court Slam final), 1998 French Open champ, 20 singles titles, three ATP 1000 Series titles, 2004 Davis Cup champion

Comparable Hall of Famers: Michael Chang, Yannick Noah

HoF Chances: Very solid. One Major won generally does not a legend make, but getting to number 1? That’s a whole different story, and it’s something neither former French champs Chang or Noah accomplished.

Elena Dementieva

Turned Pro: 1998

Career-High Ranking: 3

Highlights: 2008 Olympic Gold medal winner, 2004 French Open and U.S. Open finalist, top-20 finishes from 2000 to 2010, 4 Premier titles, semifinalist at all the Slams, 2005 Fed Cup champ.

Comparable Hall of Famers: None (read below)

HoF Chances: Iffy, at best. No player, male or female, has ever been inducted into the Hall without any type of Slam title won—singles, doubles or mixed. Can she be the first, though? Many consider her the best player to never win a Slam, and it’s hard to think of women’s tennis in the Aughts without Dementieva.

So Moya appears to be a pretty good choice for getting his name on the ballot, while Dementieva might encounter a bit of a struggle. But the level of consistency she demonstrated through her career should help her case, right?

Yes. Wait, no. Well, maybe…