Hall of Fame tennis player Pam Shriver said Friday that her major trophies were returned earlier this week to the Marina Del Rey, California, hotel from where they were stolen earlier this month.
Family photos also were returned with the trophies, but the stolen vehicle that was holding the trophies and photos remains missing.
Shriver and family members had fled to the hotel to escape the Pacific Palisades fire in mid-January. The morning of Jan. 16, she discovered that her Dodge Durango Hellcat, which was holding five US Open trophies, five French Open plates, one Australian Open trophy and family photos, was gone.
Then this week, the hotel manager called her and said staff found the trophies and photos near the hotel Monday morning. After receiving the call, Shriver said she notified police detectives, who picked up the trophies to fingerprint them. She then picked up her trophies from the police station Tuesday.
Police later discovered through security camera footage from a neighboring business that someone had returned the trophies from a car that Shriver said “fit, somewhat, the description” of her stolen Dodge Durango Hellcat.
She said it’s a relief to have her trophies back.
“It wasn’t just a sentiment to me,” she said. “The trophies actually hold a pretty reasonable value as well.”
Shriver said she doesn’t believe the trophies were intended to be stolen, just the car.
“The trophies were in the wrong place at the wrong time,” she said. “For 10 days, they were wherever they were. I wish my trophies could talk. I think it would be really interesting to hear from them.”
After word got out about her stolen trophies, Shriver said she felt supported by the tennis community worldwide and heard from people from throughout her tennis journey.
“I do think getting a word out about the trophies helped get them back,” she said, adding that she thinks the tennis community, including the Hall of Fame and other entities, networked to help with the trophies’ return.
Shriver has returned to her Brentwood, California, home. Despite her home being unscathed, she described the fire as “one of the most impactful things” she has experienced.
“It was really a challenge being sort of head of household,” Shriver said. “I’m basically the decision-maker for my house and my kids.”