RIO DE JANEIRO/STARNBERG, February 21, 2026
During a special ceremony held at the Rio Open in Rio de Janeiro, the Memorial Tênis Brasileiro (MTB) announced the induction of three new names into the Hall of Fame of Brazilian Tennis: Paulo da Silva Costa, Ronald Barnes and Ingrid Metzner.
The announcement took place Friday night on the Guga Kuerten Court at the Jockey Club Brasileiro and was presented by Thomaz Koch. The ceremony was led by Alexandre Farias, president of the Brazilian Tennis Confederation (CBT), and attended by MTB president Walmor Elias, directors Gilmar Machado and Suzana Procópio Carvalho, and board member Wilton Carvalho.
Paulo da Silva Costa stands out as one of the key figures in transforming Brazilian tennis. A native of Rio de Janeiro Country Club, he was fluent in several languages and moved comfortably within international tennis circles. In April 1961, he was elected president of the Brazilian Tennis Confederation. In 1966, serving as both president and Davis Cup captain, he guided Brazil to its first-ever Davis Cup semifinal. Between 1965 and 1967, he became president of the International Tennis Federation (ITF), and to this day remains the only South American to have held that position.
Born in 1941, Ronald Barnes was the son of English parents and discovered tennis at the age of five at Rio de Janeiro Country Club. He quickly emerged as one of Brazil’s greatest talents. In 1958, he won the prestigious Orange Bowl, and the following year reached the junior final at Wimbledon. In 1963, he became the first Brazilian man to reach a Grand Slam semifinal at the U.S. National Championships, now known as the US Open. His backhand and return of serve were studied by international coaches. Barnes retired prematurely at 26 and later became a coach in the United States. He passed away in 2002, leaving behind a legacy of pioneering achievement and exceptional talent.
Ingrid Metzner was a true trailblazer. Born in Rio de Janeiro in 1937 to a German family, she moved to São Paulo at age nine and joined Esporte Clube Pinheiros. The year 1956 marked a turning point in her career: traveling alone to Europe—without sponsorship, coach, or support team—she entered the main draws at both Roland Garros and Wimbledon Championships, becoming the first Brazilian woman to compete in a Grand Slam tournament. During that trip, she won events in France, England, Germany and Portugal. At the 1955 Pan American Games, she captured two bronze medals, one alongside a 15-year-old Maria Esther Bueno. Metzner stepped away from tennis at age 20 after getting married, but her pioneering spirit remains an inspiration.
“This is a moment to honor and keep alive the history and memory of our sport in Brazil, remembering the great pioneers and trailblazers of Brazilian tennis,” said MTB president Walmor Elias.
Founded in 2023, the Memorial Tênis Brasileiro aims to preserve and perpetuate the history of tennis in the country. One of its central pillars is the Hall of Fame, curated by former world No. 29 Luiz Mattar.
With these three new inductees—selected by Mattar in coordination with fellow curators and unanimously approved by the board—the MTB has now honored six major figures in Brazilian tennis history. The first three inductees, announced in September, were the pioneering 1932 Brazilian Davis Cup team, Sophia de Abreu, and champion, entrepreneur and promoter Alcides Procopio.
