Is serena an anomality or did the field just go pathetic? 9/18 slams in 2009+

[The_Mental_Giant]

Is serena an anomaly or did the field just go pathetic? 9/18 slams in 2009+

If we looks at women tennis we can see countless cases how the players tend to peak way earlier than in the AT, see sharapova, wozniacki,savina, ivanovic or even Steffi back in the time... yet serena goes against that rule and she has earner half of her slams since 2008.

Serena has played slams since 1998, being born at september 1981. Even If we take in consideration the first year she won a slam (1999) she earned her 9 first slams in a period of 10 years , being aged 17-27. After she turned 27 she just been able to win as many slams in a shorter span of time (6 years).

Isnt it weird, a female winning as much in her 27-32 than she did 17-27... it is just very rare among men, let alone among women who usually peak earlier and also retire at younger age.

 

[The Green Mile]

With Henin, Clijsters and the sort, retired and Venus not as much of a threat in slams than in other tournaments (kinda like Fed with Nadal, only Fed isn't a threat anywhere), Serena can now intimidate the whole WTA field with her power game.

 

[The_Mental_Giant]

With Henin, Clijsters and the sort, retired and Venus not as much of a threat in slams than in other tournaments (kinda like Fed with Nadal, only Fed isn't a threat anywhere), Serena can now intimidate the whole WTA field with her power game.

My point is serena seem as powerful if not even more than she used to be prior 2009....

Women are supposed to peak 19-23... the same way men usually do 22-26.

 

[The Green Mile]

My point is serena seem as powerful if not even more than she used to be prior 2009....

Women are supposed to peak 19-23... the same way men usually do 22-26.

Sorry if I didn't see this in your initial post. :lol:

Well, she has faced a sh1tload of injuries throughout her career, which would have a great impact. But I am just saying, that with the current WTA field, Serena intimidates them with her power game and how dominant she can be.

 

[bluetrain4]

My point is serena seem as powerful if not even more than she used to be prior 2009....

Women are supposed to peak 19-23... the same way men usually do 22-26.

Why are they "supposed" to?

 

[MichaelNadal]

My point is serena seem as powerful if not even more than she used to be prior 2009....

Women are supposed to peak 19-23... the same way men usually do 22-26.

Those days are gone, and have been for years though.

 

[The_Mental_Giant]

Why are they "supposed" to?

Because its the peak of performance in average, and it is the same way with everybody... federer peak began just when he turned 22 in mid/late 2003 and it ended in 2007 at 26 years in the dot. The same could be said for Sampras who peaked 1993-1997 Or Rafa who started peaking around Beijing 2008 (22 years old) all throught the 2010 until 2013 (27 years old), althought he had a little longer peak due to having more injuries in between (late 2009, late 2012-early 2013)..

 

[big ted]

i just don't think theres a lot of competition in the womens game. for the last 5-6 years the no1 ranking has changed so many times between players that have large holes in their games and also nobody (except serena) acts like the really "want it", are able to play that way consistently, and can handle even a small amount of pressure without folding. is it the equipment that's made the womens players more inconsistent or all the $ that's given them less drive to be a champion? or both?

 

[Man of steel]

People forget serena was dealing with commitment, depression, injuries and family issues during her prime years. She didn't play that often from 04-07 and was bairly a factor in most of the slams save for the 2 AO titles that she won. She really wasn't in the best shape. Her 2012/2013 seasons were season she was supposed to have from 03-07 but to many problems arised for her. Same applies to venus. Once she came back and dealt with her problems and became fit again she continued her dominance. Then again she had more problem in 2010-11 with the pulmonery embolism.

 

[conway]

On the other hand Serena timed it right to be playing well again when the womens field was collapsing- Henin retiring, Clijsters retired (although briefly came back and won 3 slams in just a year and half which says something about the field), Sharapova post shoulder problems never totally the same and never again with a strong serve (one of several reasons it is so easy for Serena to cakewalk her these days), Davenport, Capriati (an always tough Serena opponent), and Hingis long gone. Even had she been playing well in 2004-2007 it is not like she would have had as easy a ride as she had from late 2008 to now.

 

[Bukmeikara]

I think that Serina is benefiting from the fact that from the entire WTA only Sharapova is close to be considered a big champion and it just happen to be that Serina owns here in any possible way. The rest the field is full of the likes "could be", "should be" and 1-2 Slam winners which doesnt have the confidence and mentality(coming from winning titles and being number 1) to challenge here and make Serina feal uncomfortable. Ten years ago, you have Henin, Venus, Hingis, Kim, Davenport, Capriati ... all of them former world number 1, now you have Sharapova and Azarenka who is weaker than any of the above mentioned.

 

[torpantennis]

2010s WTA is a joke. Weaponless pushers and no-serve players like Radwanska/Errani in top10 of the whole world. OH C'MON!

 

[Fedinkum]

I know Tennis is a skill sport but Serena's physique is just miles apart from the rest of the field...if you can call that anomaly...

 

[dominikk1985]

My point is serena seem as powerful if not even more than she used to be prior 2009....

Women are supposed to peak 19-23... the same way men usually do 22-26.

serena had some motivational, injury and weight issues in the mid 00s.

she won a lot of majors from 00-03, then only 3 from 04-08 and then again a lot of them again.

I think it has to do with her getting motivated again but also of course with the bad WTA field since henin, clijsters, davenport are good and venus is not a factor anymore.

 

[yescomeon]

At this stage, I'm stuggling to pin point her 'peak'. Was she a better player when she was 20-26?

 

[Camilio Pascual]

ANY player with 18 Slams is an anomaly.

 

[dominikk1985]

At this stage, I'm stuggling to pin point her 'peak'. Was she a better player when she was 20-26?

I think physically she was in her peak around 02-03 but she plays smarter now than she did back then. now she does not bash the ball everything but when she is made running she often hits a high net clearance loop to get back into the rally. she also mixes her serve very well nowadays.

 

[pirateofthecarribean]

I think in terms of stamina Serena is way better now compared to her younger self. These days Serena can play 3 sets and long rallies without breaking a sweat.

 

[omok33]

I know it may be hard to believe, but I think if Serena fully dedicated her self throughout her entire career, she would have over 25 slams by now. Perhaps she would have overtook Graf before this win. We'll never know. But that doesn't take away the fact that she is one if not the greatest women's player of all time.

 

[Nathaniel_Near]

Maybe Serena still has an outside chance to win 4/5/6 more Slams, although it's obviously a big ask.

 

[conway]

I have a feeling Serena will end up with either 20 or 25 slams. Nothing in between. if she gets stuck at 20, she gets stuck at 20. However once she reaches 21, she will be determined to get 22 to tie Graf to be stopped, then too determined to pass Graf, then at 23 too determined to catch Court, and at 24 too determined to pass Court. So either 20 or 25, with a very small chance at 19, but hard to see her winning only 1 more.

 

[pirateofthecarribean]

I have a feeling Serena will end up with either 20 or 25 slams. Nothing in between. if she gets stuck at 20, she gets stuck at 20. However once she reaches 21, she will be determined to get 22 to tie Graf to be stopped, then too determined to pass Graf, then at 23 too determined to catch Court, and at 24 too determined to pass Court. So either 20 or 25, with a very small chance at 19, but hard to see her winning only 1 more.

IMO tying Graf would mean Serena is #1 because Graf's fan stabbed Seles. Catching Court is not necessary because Court is not Open era player.

 

[conway]

IMO tying Graf would mean Serena is #1 because Graf's fan stabbed Seles. Catching Court is not necessary because Court is not Open era player.

Sure, but that doesn't change that in her mind once she gets to 21 (if she does) she will continuously be only 1 away from a big target, and wont stop going until she clears each. Almost nobody considers Court the GOAT for instance, but Serena would still love to break her "official" slam record.

 

[sureshs]

Is there just one person who thinks anomality is a word or has education gone pathetic?

 

[dominikk1985]

Is there just one person who thinks anomality is a word or has education gone pathetic?

anomaly is a word:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anomaly

 

[sureshs]

anomaly is a word:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anomaly

That was my point

 

[torpantennis]

Is there just one person who thinks anomality is a word or has education gone pathetic?

The side-effect of Brits enforcing their language to the whole world.

 

[Tanya]

The side-effect of Brits enforcing their language to the whole world.

I'm pretty sure 'anomality' isn't a word even for the Brits.

 

[dominikk1985]

That was my point

Ah, just now I see it. my brain has auto corrected the title.

 

[britam25]

Because its the peak of performance in average, and it is the same way with everybody... federer peak began just when he turned 22 in mid/late 2003 and it ended in 2007 at 26 years in the dot. The same could be said for Sampras who peaked 1993-1997 Or Rafa who started peaking around Beijing 2008 (22 years old) all throught the 2010 until 2013 (27 years old), althought he had a little longer peak due to having more injuries in between (late 2009, late 2012-early 2013)..

duplicate post

 

[britam25]

Because its the peak of performance in average, and it is the same way with everybody... federer peak began just when he turned 22 in mid/late 2003 and it ended in 2007 at 26 years in the dot. The same could be said for Sampras who peaked 1993-1997 Or Rafa who started peaking around Beijing 2008 (22 years old) all throught the 2010 until 2013 (27 years old), althought he had a little longer peak due to having more injuries in between (late 2009, late 2012-early 2013)..

duplicate post

 

[britam25]

Because its the peak of performance in average, and it is the same way with everybody... federer peak began just when he turned 22 in mid/late 2003 and it ended in 2007 at 26 years in the dot. The same could be said for Sampras who peaked 1993-1997 Or Rafa who started peaking around Beijing 2008 (22 years old) all throught the 2010 until 2013 (27 years old), althought he had a little longer peak due to having more injuries in between (late 2009, late 2012-early 2013)..

First you speak of average, then moments later you speak of what "everybody" does; are you aware those 2 words don't mean the same thing? And, as I would have thought would have become obvious by now, she.is neither "average" nor "everybody" else-much to your chagrin.

 

[a10best]

I'll give her two more slams. You discount the obvious fact the rest of the field has caught up in terms of power. She was beat early in the other slams in the first 4 rounds.
She is playing somewhat smarter but her age makes her a little slower and more prone to injury.
It's nice to speculate "right after" she wins one and appears dominant. We all do that. Nit don't forget her own words, during her recent slam losses that as you get older the consistency starts waning which is why she lost. She's a phenom for sure.
Enjoy it while it lasts because then if Kvitova wins AO convincingly everyone will predict she could win the next 5 slams.
Serena's arms are bigger than mine at 33.

 

[torpantennis]

I'm pretty sure 'anomality' isn't a word even for the Brits.

It isn't, but what I meant was that we have so many non-native English writers here, myself included. So an internet board is not a good measure for the quality of writing of the Americans. Could be any non-native writer, with the "anomalities" on their dictionary...

 

[Kobble]

No, I think she is on steroids. The other girly girls, are not.