WTA players at a glance

[Aykhan Mammadov]

Who win more GS among women starting from 1971 ?

Graff Steffy - 22
Evert - 18
Navratilova - 18
Seles-9
Serena Williams - 7
...

Graff Steffy is absolute records-woman in WTA+ATP not only in number of GS but also in number of GS she won consecutively, one after another without intervals. It happened in 1988, she won AO, FO, Wimb, USO, then AO in 1989. 5 times in succession.

The women who won all 4 GS - only 4:

Graff Steffy
Evert
Navratilova
Williams Serena.

As u see Graff Steffy is the greatest tennis-player in the world among all women and mens. So Agassi knew to whom marry.

 

[J D]

Aykhan, you won't find many that will agree with you. Most feel, justifiably so, that Graf would probably be third (or fourth behind Seles) on that list without the stabbing. Half of Graf's GS wins came after the attack on Seles. If they split those 50/50, that would leave Graf at third. Many feel that Seles was getting the upper hand in their rivalry, having won 7 of the previous 9 GS before the attack. It's hard to label someone as GOAT when they probably weren't even the best player of their time. At best, this record needs a HUGE asterisk. Had it not been for a madman, Graf would likely be what Agassi is, the second best player of their era. So maybe they are a good match.

 

[Grimjack]

Hard to argue against Steffi on the merits of the numbers.

I still think, though, that you have to look awfully hard at Chrissy and Martina. Not only does each woman have a pretty legitimate claim to greatest ever even as the records stand, but the fact that they were contemporaries, and the only thing keeping either from obliterating Steffi's numbers was the other...wow.

On the one hand, hard luck for them, because they were there in the wrong era to really rack up record numbers of GS titles. On the other, even though it'd be cool to remove one from the picture, just to see the other lady get universal acknowldegement as GOAT for having won 30 slams against the Shrivers and Mandlikovas of the world, I wouldn't trade their rivalry for anything. Best long-term head-to-head sports rivalry in history, for my dollar.

 

[Grimjack]

Steffi did have really nice gams, though.

 

[Camilio Pascual]

Easy to argue against Steffi, numbers or not. BTW, what about those Maggie Court numbers? Evert and Navratilova had to play each other 80 times, 61 times in finals. Graf's main rival was stabbed and she played against a pretty weak field in the late 90's (see 1997). I'm an Evert fan and like to point out that she is the only pro player with a 90% winning percentage. That means she had to win 387 matches to maintain her 90%, due to her 43 losses to Navratilova.
Given that Navratilova's doubles resume by itself would have gotten her into the HOF (just ask Pam Shriver!), she is the GOAT, hands down. You forgot Steffi's most impressive Majors feat, she won each one at least 4 times.
It is hard to imagine there will ever be a greater tennis rivalry than Evert-Navratilova. They were usually #1 and #2, 61 finals, the baseliner who started a whole generation of 2H BHanders, and the last truly great S&V to play as of today. They made each other greater than they otherwise would have been.

 

[baseliner]

I agree with much of Camilio Pascual's post. No one mentions Margaret Smith Court. She has the most GS of anyone. If you justify Steffi as GOAT based on her GS record, then Smith Court beats her on that basis. Those of us long in the tooth enough to remember Seles remember her taking it to Steffi on all surfaces except grass. I disagree with CP on Martina. Great player but I rank Chrissie ahead of her. Personal preference I guess. That's what makes these boards thrive. If Monica hadn't been stabbed and if more players had gone to the AO in years past and .....

 

[The Pusher Terminator]

Actually Steffi is just very lucky!

Seles is actually the greatest. Seles was killing graff. In the "infamous" match in Germany, Seles was once again beating Steffi....the germans did not like that very much. So a Steffi fan ran out onto the court and plunged a knife deep into Seles' back.

Seles missed the next year of tennis and was never the same. After the stabbing...Seles' career went down and Steffi's went up. Coincidence,....or was it that without Seles around Steffi could now take over. Just before the Stabbing Seles was #1 and almost won the entire grandslam in one year( a feat only laver could do) but only because she decided to sit out of one of the tournaments. In any event 9 grand slams in such a short time (pre stabbing) makes her the greatest....in any event she clearly had Steffi's numbr...thats why she was stabbed!

 

[tent 9]

Please do not be offended but you dont know anything about history. History is not written based on what could have happened but on what actually happened! If this and if that...history and record books do not take these factors into consideration.(seles case). It is like saying....if i had started tennis early and had the best coaches I would have been the best player in the world right now.Or Seles is the best ever...if Graf had never been born!

 

[Camilio Pascual]

I disagree with CP on Martina. Great player but I rank Chrissie ahead of her. Personal preference I guess. That's what makes these boards thrive.

You'll get no argument from me. I hope future historians agree with you and not me on this one. In terms of having an effect on the way the game is played, Chrissie did have a much bigger influence.

 

[35ft6]

Steffi's nose is too big to be the greatest of all time. Period.

 

[Grimjack]

Please do not be offended but you dont know anything about history. History is not written based on what could have happened but on what actually happened! If this and if that...history and record books do not take these factors into consideration.(seles case). It is like saying....if i had started tennis early and had the best coaches I would have been the best player in the world right now.Or Seles is the best ever...if Graf had never been born!

History isn't the topic, here. The topic is relative greatness. History is just one of the rhetorical tools.

 

[The Pusher Terminator]

Please do not be offended but you dont know anything about history. History is not written based on what could have happened but on what actually happened! If this and if that...history and record books do not take these factors into consideration.(seles case). It is like saying....if i had started tennis early and had the best coaches I would have been the best player in the world right now.Or Seles is the best ever...if Graf had never been born!

HUH? In any event the undeniable fact is that Seles had Steffi's number prior to being stabbed in the back with a knife. In fact she was stabbed during a match while she was kicking Steffi's ass! Steffi simply could not beat Monica....thats why a fanatical fan stabbed her in the back. Seles was clearly the better player. End of story.

 

[Kaptain Karl]

As one who personally dislikes her, I still give the nod to Navratilova, a complete tennis player. Evert and Graff weren't nearly the doubles players Martina is. Evert and Graff were "one-dimensional" in comparison.

- KK

 

[baseliner]

Hard to give GOAT award to Steffi who was constantly beaten by a contemporary-Monica Seles. If my memory is correct, Monica beat Steffi on all surfaces except grass. Steffi did have the edge on Monica on grass. Good but not GOAT.

 

[Max G.]

HUH? In any event the undeniable fact is that Seles had Steffi's number prior to being stabbed in the back with a knife. In fact she was stabbed during a match while she was kicking Steffi's ass! Steffi simply could not beat Monica....thats why a fanatical fan stabbed her in the back. Seles was clearly the better player. End of story.

Could you find a head-to-head record to back that up?

From what I hear, Steffi didn't actually get far enough in the Slams to play Monica very many times during that streak. I'm not sure though. The total head-to-head between Steffi and Monica stands, I think, with Steffi leading 10-5.

Also, the match that Seles was stabbed, she was playing in the semifinals and NOT playing Graf; Graf would have been her opponent in the finals.

 

[tent 9]

the topic is , who has the most grandslam titles after 1970.Not greatness!Learn to read the topic first!!

 

[Aykhan Mammadov]

I really don't understand what are u talking about, fans of Seles. I respect Seles as a GREAT tennis-player who won 9 GS in her career. I UNDERSTAND VERY SAD story about that f-ing Parche. I know really the fact probably affected and did affect what was going in WTA tour at those times. But Steffy wasn't guilt in what did that f...-g guy.

Let me refer to facts:

Graff played with Seles in FINALS of GS 6 times. 3 times won Graff, 3 times won Seles. Graff won her 1 time at Wimb and 2 times at USOpen and lost 2 times in FO and 1 time at AO final.

Graff played in FINALS of GS with Navratilova 6 times, 4 times won Graff, 2 times Navratilova.

Seles was stabbed in April 1993 but before that time Graff already won 11 GS from her 22. Keep in mind - 11 !!!

In 1996 Seles won AO beating Huber 6:4, 6:1. It means that she felt herself good that she won GS, in the same 1996 she lost to Graff at USOpen. In 1995 she played FO final with Graff and lost. As I see Seles played in 1998 FO final and lost to Sanchez-Vicario.

What I mean that Graff won only 4 GS in absense of Seles: 3 in 1993 and 1 in 1994, in 1995 Seles already was playing a final at FO against Graff what means she was in good condition, moreover as I said in 1996 she won AO. So don't underestimate Graff. Even if you deduct 4 GS it will give 22-4 = 18 GS, twice more than Seles !! And I think to 1995-1996 Seles was already at peak of her form.

 

[Kaptain Karl]

the topic is , who has the most grandslam titles after 1970.Not greatness!Learn to read the topic first!!

Hey, Doofus! If that were the whole topic, it would be a One-Post-Thread, as Aykhan answered his own question in the same post. Pay attention, yourself.

- KK

 

[Deleted member 3771]

Graf has a clear winning record against Seles even during Seles' best years ever when she was winning all her slams, it's just that Seles was lucky not to run into Graf much more often. Then Graf also had a winning record against Seles when Seles returned. So Graf was just a much better player. Graf also missed a lot of slams , especially Australian Opens, due to injuries. When she missed the Australian opens several for years , she often won the 3 other slams, so Graf probably should would have won between 25-30 slams.