The International Tennis Hall of Fame has expelled Bob Hewitt more than a year after he was convicted of sex crimes in his native South Africa.

Hewitt was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1992 but all references to him at the Newport, Rhode Island museum were removed in November 2012 after legal proceedings began against him following a Boston Globe investigation that detailed alleged sexual abuse dating to the 1970s.

Hewitt, now 76, was convicted in March 2015 on two counts of rape and one count of sexual assault and sentenced last May to six years in prison. The convictions stemmed from incidents with female players he coached when they were teenagers in the 1980s and 90s.

He has been under home confinement pending an appeal of his sentence that will be heard on May 3. He can no longer appeal the conviction itself, which the Hall of Fame cited as its reasoning for waiting until now to expel Hewitt.

A statement from the Hall of Fame read: "Former South African tennis player Bob Hewitt has been expelled from the International Tennis Hall of Fame. The expulsion is a result of a conviction against Hewitt on two counts of rape and one count of sexual assault. The conviction was issued by a South African court in March 2015, and the appellate courts have now denied the right to further appeals of the conviction.

"Hewitt, who was inducted in 1992, was indefinitely suspended from the International Tennis Hall of Fame in November 2012. Upon his suspension in 2012, his Hall of Fame plaque and all references to him among the Hall of Famers were immediately removed."

Though Hewitt won seven singles titles on tour, he made his mark as a doubles player. He won the doubles crown at each of the four Grand Slams at least once, taking nine titles overall, and was a five-time doubles champion at Wimbledon between 1962 and 1978. He also won six Grand Slam mixed doubles titles between 1961 and 1979, again taking at least one at each of the four major tournaments.