Top 10 female players of all time

[DMan]

has anyone else realised nadalagassi is yet another avatar of thalivest/davey25/julesb/annointedone/grafselesfan/federerfanatic/capriatifanatic, .................zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

Wait! Do tell.

Is NadalAgassi .....JulesB ? :twisted:

I've been missing Jules so much :twisted:

 

[abmk]

Wait! Do tell.

Is NadalAgassi .....JulesB ? :twisted:

I've been missing Jules so much :twisted:

oh yeah, JulesB was another of his many avatars

 

[Polaris]

I do not doubt your sincerity or passion but in that case, I'd be letting YOU take me for a ride and participating in your game My feeling is that if more people did not participate, you would not indulge in your tomfoolery and just talk about the tennis rather than guessing 'who is who' and other cloak and dagger games. We dispute who the 'willing suckers' really are.

So, outing a serial troll is tomfoolery? Interesting point of view, to say the least. And who is saying anything about guessing? You think all the dozens of people who know NadalAgassi's game like an open book are guessing too?

Anyway, your post was fresh. Gave me a whole new perspective. A postmodernist would rejoice at this "Anything can be twisted into anything" notion.

 

[SystemicAnomaly]

:twisted: My top 10:

1. Steffi Graf
2. Steffi Graf
3. Steffi Graf
4. Steffi Graf
5. Steffi Graf
6. Steffi Graf
7. Steffi Graf
8. Steffi Graf
9. Steffi Graf
10. Martina Hingis

 

[Joe Pike]

:twisted: My top 10:

1. Steffi Graf
2. Steffi Graf
3. Steffi Graf
4. Steffi Graf
5. Steffi Graf
6. Steffi Graf
7. Steffi Graf
8. Steffi Graf
9. Steffi Graf
10. Martina Hingis

Quite close to my top ten.
Although I would replace Martina Hingis with Steffi Graf.

 

[BTURNER]

So, outing a serial troll is tomfoolery? Interesting point of view, to say the least.:confused: And who is saying anything about guessing? You think all the dozens of people who know NadalAgassi's game like an open book are guessing too?

Anyway, your post was fresh. Gave me a whole new perspective. A postmodernist would rejoice at this "Anything can be twisted into anything" notion.

Trolls like attention. Deprive them and they get bored. Argue, or accuse and they win. ' Outting' is another form of negative attention. If the attention goes to the post, provided it is a worthy post, you get more worthy posts. If attention is denied trolling posts, they will whither. Trolls will too, unless they become less troll-like in what they type. If trolls spend their time debating other trolls because no one else interacts, they deserve each other.

 

[kiki]

1. Graf
2. Navratilova
3. Court
4. Connolly
5. Evert
6. Lenglen
7. Wills Moody
8. King
9. Hingis
10. Williams

Great list.next 5 should be: Bueno, Graff ,Seles,the other Williams you left,Henin.In terms of pure talent, Mandlikova and Goolagong should be top 15.

Hingis deserves being a top 10, no doubt.

 

[TMF]

1. Graf
2. Navratilova
3. Court
4. Connolly
5. Evert
6. Lenglen
7. Wills Moody
8. King
9. Hingis
10. Williams

Great list.next 5 should be: Bueno, Graff ,Seles,the other Williams you left,Henin.In terms of pure talent, Mandlikova and Goolagong should be top 15.

Hingis deserves being a top 10, no doubt.

????????????????????????????????????????????????

Graf is in hoodjem list, at the very top. Unless you want to explain to us who's "Graff" and the reasons she's in the top 15.

 

[Joe Pike]

Great list.next 5 should be: Bueno, Graff ,Seles,the other Williams you left,Henin.In terms of pure talent, Mandlikova and Goolagong should be top 15.

Hingis deserves being a top 10, no doubt.

Who is Graff?
An comtemporary of Salas, Cipraiti, Nivratoliva and Everett?

 

[kiki]

Here are my 10 greatest female players of all time:

1. Martina Navratilova
2. Chris Evert
3. Margaret Court
4. Maureen Connolly
5. Monica Seles (would be #1 without the stabbing)
6. Serena Williams
7. Suzanna Lenglen
8. Helen Wills Moody
9. Justine Henin
10. Venus Williams

Honorable mentions- Billie Jean King, Steffi Graf, Evonne Goolagong

Monroe,Schiffer,Campbell,Bacall,Gardner,Crawford,Johansson,Matahari,Katherina the Great and Jeanne d´Arc.

 

[BTURNER]

¿Any top 10 gays post? I heard of a past time big champion with a gay reputation.But the rest seem not to have come out of the closet.

For the ladies, some had the courage to do it but today none has...

Ashe, in his bio swore he knew of no gay men on the tour or even rumors. hell we've had plenty in swimming, football and track, . I think even baseball had a player come out but no tennis players. It might inspire me to turn pro!

 

[dlk]

Monroe,Schiffer,Campbell,Bacall,Gardner,Crawford,Johansson,Matahari,Katherina the Great and Jeanne d´Arc.

What, no Anne Boleyn?

 

[dandelion_smiley]

Graf, like her or not. It still amazes me how she could dominate the sport for years with her sucky backhand

 

[BTURNER]

Graf, like her or not. It still amazes me how she could dominate the sport for years with her sucky backhand

That 'sucky' backhand was just perfect for its role in her game and for the era she dominated. She played a ton of baseliners with two handers and that slice did almost all she could have needed a backhand to do - stay low, stay steady and stay deep.

 

[kiki]

Ashe, in his bio swore he knew of no gay men on the tour or even rumors. hell we've had plenty in swimming, football and track, . I think even baseball had a player come out but no tennis players. It might inspire me to turn pro!

Ashe was a great diplomat and politician, so he kept very loyal to the non written rules when you judge your collegues.But there must have been a few ones in the past and also a few ones right now.As you said pretty well, the other sports have plenty of them, Why not tennis?

 

[kiki]

What, no Anne Boleyn?

...or Maggie Thatcher, for that matter (one of the few real men in the 80´s )

 

[maxplymac]

LOL...ask Martina Navratilova if Steffi had a drive backhand.

 

[Joe Pike]

Graf, like her or not. It still amazes me how she could dominate the sport for years with her sucky backhand

You don't seem to know a lot about tennis.

When she needed it Steffi had a topspin backhand. Just watch how she destroyed Shriver in Wimbledon 1987 and 1988. Pam had tears in her eyes ...
Or ask Martina Navratilova who was humiliated by Steffi's passing shots in the last 55 minutes of the Wimbledon 1988 final. The 1989 final was not much better for the (alleged) "grass court queen".

And all these two-handed-backhanders of the 90s who didn't come to the net were annoyed by Steffi's famous slice backhand. Until they made an unforced error - or until Steffi's sledgehammer forehand hit the killer.

 

[DMan]

I'd have Margaret Court, Chris Evert and Martina Navratilova ahead of King with wood racquets.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ibU2lMdD2cw

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tj3j4QXJwoc&NR=1

PS: Looks like Martina hit harder slice-drive backhands with a wood racquet than Federer or Ralph hit today.

ROFLMAO!!!

As if one's credibility could afford to slide down even further!!!

 

[kiki]

In comparative terms, Martina was quite more powerful than Federer and would be on equal terms as Nadal.JMHO, of course.

 

[BTURNER]

In comparative terms, Martina was quite more powerful than Federer and would be on equal terms as Nadal.JMHO, of course.

This one is really hard to say. I am trying to think back at the other women in her era for sheer pace of shot. Part of the problem is Martina was close the fastest woman on the tour for such a long streak, that shots/ volleys/ overheads hit with great pace came back looking like they hadn't. I think Evert/ Austin hit the backhand harder, Graf hit the forehand harder, Hana and Sukova occasional forehands harder, but no one hit a volley or overhead harder. And she was always in the top two,three in every single category and every stroke from 80-88

 

[kiki]

This one is really hard to say. I am trying to think back at the other women in her era for sheer pace of shot. Part of the problem is Martina was close the fastest woman on the tour for such a long streak, that shots/ volleys/ overheads hit with great pace came back looking like they hadn't. I think Evert/ Austin hit the backhand harder, Graf hit the forehand harder, Hana and Sukova occasional forehands harder, but no one hit a volley or overhead harder. And she was always in the top two,three in every single category and every stroke from 80-88

Mandlikova´s FH was second only to Steffi, at least until Davenport, and later, Sharapova came around.

 

[BTURNER]

Mandlikova´s FH was second only to Steffi, at least until Davenport, and later, Sharapova came around.

Kiki, We will never agree on that Mandlikova forehand. I will say when she timed it right it was the flattest, hardest most beautifully struck shot.

 

[kiki]

Kiki, We will never agree on that Mandlikova forehand. I will say when she timed it right it was the flattest, hardest most beautifully struck shot.

OK, then we agree.Hana is clearly the most underrated of all great women modern champions, and she proved many times that her talent was enormous and , as you well say here, one of the nicest players to watch ( of course, part of her charm was her being so unconsistent)

 

[Joe Pike]

OK, then we agree.Hana is clearly the most underrated of all great women modern champions, and she proved many times that her talent was enormous and , as you well say here, one of the nicest players to watch ( of course, part of her charm was her being so unconsistent)

Mandlikova was very untalented in the mental-strength department.

 

[kiki]

genious never leave anyone uninterested¡¡¡

 

[kiki]

One of the best woman player was Maria Esther Bueno, from Brazil.In the early 60´s, beat very often Maggie Court and won several Wimbledon titles.I never saw her play but people who watched her, say her grace and style was unique, and she was a very nice to watch player, strong and very gracile.

Of all those that I recall watching, one of my all time favs has to be Evonne Cawley, such a wonderful " tennis dancer".She was so efortless, many times you asked to yourself what kind of game was th hell she playing.

 

[BTURNER]

One of the best woman player was Maria Esther Bueno, from Brazil.In the early 60´s, beat very often Maggie Court and won several Wimbledon titles.I never saw her play but people who watched her, say her grace and style was unique, and she was a very nice to watch player, strong and very gracile.

Of all those that I recall watching, one of my all time favs has to be Evonne Cawley, such a wonderful " tennis dancer".She was so efortless, many times you asked to yourself what kind of game was th hell she playing.

So many folks ask the woulda coulda questions about Graf and Seles without asking how many majors King and Court got secondary to Bueno having two forced extended layoffs in in most of 1961 and early 1962 due to hepatitis and again in 65-66 due to knee injury and subsequent surgery. She was able to beat both of them or anyone else on the tour when in full health on either clay or grass. I honestly could see more majors under her belt, than King had that hepatitis not taken so much out of her. She was bedridden for over 6 - 9 months in her prime, getting ill right before RG.

 

[kiki]

That women´s circuit of the 60´s may not be so competitive as later, with only Court,King,Bueno,Richey,Jones,Wade,Reid or Casals outstanding.But, certainly, the very top players had enormous quality.Court is as good as any other guess as the GOAT while King is a true legend.

 

[BTURNER]

That women´s circuit of the 60´s may not be so competitive as later, with only Court,King,Bueno,Richey,Jones,Wade,Reid or Casals outstanding.But, certainly, the very top players had enormous quality.Court is as good as any other guess as the GOAT while King is a true legend.

We could also wonder if King might have gotten another major or two had the Open not changed to clay in '75 or '76. Of course there still was Evonne to wonder what her chances would have been too, and Wade!

 

[kiki]

We could also wonder if King might have gotten another major or two had the Open not changed to clay in '75 or '76. Of course there still was Evonne to wonder what her chances would have been too, and Wade!

Yes¡ even on clay Miss Evert was not always ubeatable.Barker or Ruzici could very well beat her, with their tamed forehand.On grass, King or Evonne were at least as good, if not better, than Chrissie - though Evert won many matches just on pure menthal strength-

 

[BTURNER]

Yes¡ even on clay Miss Evert was not always ubeatable.Barker or Ruzici could very well beat her, with their tamed forehand.On grass, King or Evonne were at least as good, if not better, than Chrissie - though Evert won many matches just on pure menthal strength-

At least on clay she was completely unbeatable for nearly 6 years right smack in the middle of the 75-77. They just handed her those US opens on a platter. I don't think either Ruzici or Barker beat her on any surface. But on grass, she certainly was by greats like King.

 

[pc1]

We could also wonder if King might have gotten another major or two had the Open not changed to clay in '75 or '76. Of course there still was Evonne to wonder what her chances would have been too, and Wade!

I read where King mentioned that she was practicing with Navratilova and Evert before Wimbledon on grass and was beating them regularly. She realized in retrospect that perhaps 1975 was her last good chance to win Wimbledon. So making that assumption you would figure she had a good chance to win the 1975 US Open if it remained on grass.

 

[NadalAgassi]

I think if the U.S Open had remained on grass King would have played the 75 U.S Open for sure and maybe played the whole 1976 too instead of temporarily retiring. As it was I am sure she realized she had NO chance at all to win the 75 U.S Open with it being played on clay and decided her Wimbledon title was a good note to gracefully retire on. It was pretty surprising she decided to return to tennis at all, and in retrospect I wonder how she feels about when all she did was lose 11 times in a row to Evert and never make another major final.

 

[pc1]

It occurred to me that I got the year wrong in my previous post. It was in 1976 that Billie Jean was practicing with Navratilova and Evert and was beating them. So she felt 1976 was her last chance to win Wimbledon.

But yes NadalAgassi I would think King would have entered the 1975 US Open if it was on grass. I can't think of anyone I would have favored over her on grass at that time.

 

[kiki]

At least on clay she was completely unbeatable for nearly 6 years right smack in the middle of the 75-77. They just handed her those US opens on a platter. I don't think either Ruzici or Barker beat her on any surface. But on grass, she certainly was by greats like King.

True.I think her first defeat on clay in many years happened at 1979 Rome, when Tracy Austin beat her.Next was her defeat at Mandlikova´s hands at the 1981 FO.On grass, though she had a much harder time against the likes of Navratilova,Cawley,King and Wade.Same indoors.

 

[kiki]

I read where King mentioned that she was practicing with Navratilova and Evert before Wimbledon on grass and was beating them regularly. She realized in retrospect that perhaps 1975 was her last good chance to win Wimbledon. So making that assumption you would figure she had a good chance to win the 1975 US Open if it remained on grass.

I´d never count her off, she was a great fighter, the Jimmy Connors among top women.Evert would be more in the mold of Bjorn Borg.

 

[NadalAgassi]

At least on clay she was completely unbeatable for nearly 6 years right smack in the middle of the 75-77. They just handed her those US opens on a platter. I don't think either Ruzici or Barker beat her on any surface. But on grass, she certainly was by greats like King.

Sue Barker had one win over Evert. I think it was indoors. Barker wasnt even a clay courter, it was probably her worst surface. The only reason she won a French is she played in one of those years it wasnt a real slam and almost no top players showed up. Her competitive matches with Evert were mostly indoors.

 

[kiki]

Sue´s forehand was one of the best then, and her agressive mind was considerable.Plus, she was one of the nice looking ones back then.

She and Wade were the top 2 british girls but it always seemed to me they were very different in her approach to tennis (Ginny was very competitive too, and one of the best S&V player ever seen in the WTA tour).

 

[Tennis Dunce]

1. Navratilova
2. Graf
3. Evert
4. Lenglen
5. Connelly

 

[BTURNER]

1. Navratilova
2. Graf
3. Evert
4. Lenglen
5. Connelly

You have five more to go. You got some options like Court, Wills Moody, King, Henin, Seles, Bueno, even the thus far forgotten Dorothea Douglass Lambert Chambers ( Champion 1903–1904, 1906, 1910–1911, 1913–1914) holds the record for most titles in the amateur era

 

[kiki]

You have five more to go. You got some options like Court, Wills Moody, King, Henin, Seles, Bueno, even the thus far forgotten Dorothea Douglass Lambert Chambers ( Champion 1903–1904, 1906, 1910–1911, 1913–1914) holds the record for most titles in the amateur era

Seles never won Wimbledon.She was a great player but not in the same league as the rest of the mentioned players.Just like Henin, another fantastic player but not the same breed ( the same could be said for other players like Hingis who won Wimbledon but did not last longer at the top)

Instead, the Williams deserve it by far.They aren´t my favs but, to be honest, they deserv it very much.

 

[NadalAgassi]

No way does Venus deserve a top 10 ranking all time. Top 20 for sure, top 15 maybe but probably a stretch. Venus ranks far below Graf, Court, Navratilova, Evert, Lenglen, Wills, King, Serena, Seles, Connolly, and also should be behind Goolagong, Bueno, Henin, and possibly even Gibson, Hart, and Brough. Venus has won only 7 slam titles in the era of equality of all 4 slams. She has only won at 2 of the 4 slam venues, no titles at the Australian or French Opens, and only 1 final at each. She has never ended a year ranked #1. And she has spent what, all of 11 weeks at #1 in an era that has seen a succession of clown #1s. And before suggesting her stats dont reflect her overall ability she has basically equal head to heads with Hingis and Davenport which hardly suggests historic level ability.

Seles ranks over Venus all time easily, it would be foolish to suggest Venus's Wimbledon record alone puts her above Seles and ignoring all the other many holes in Venus's career, in addition to atleast some slight consideration to the unusual circumstances Seles faced. Venus is the better grass court player of the two by far, but not the better player overall. Even Henin who btw I cant stand rates atleast on par with Venus, and quite possibly ahead. Seles is at a clearly higher level than both though.

The Williams should also not be potrayed together in a historical light. Serena is light years beyond Venus. As I mentioned Venus isnt even the 2nd best player of her era probably.

 

[BTURNER]

Seles never won Wimbledon.She was a great player but not in the same league as the rest of the mentioned players.Just like Henin, another fantastic player but not the same breed ( the same could be said for other players like Hingis who won Wimbledon but did not last longer at the top)

Instead, the Williams deserve it by far.They aren´t my favs but, to be honest, they deserv it very much.

I can't believe Serena escaped me. You are absolutely correct.

 

[Pistol10]

She made lots of achievement.

 

[kiki]

1_ The youngest player to win GS tournament in doubles at age 15 years & 9 months (at wimbledon 1996)!!!

2_ The youngest player to win GS tournament in single at age 16 years & 3 months (at the A.O 1997)!!!

3_ The youngest player to win Wimbledon in single at age 16 (in 1997)!!!

4_ The second youngest player to win the US.OPEN in single at age 16 (in 1997)!!!

5_ The youngest player to reache the top ranking in single at age 16 (in 1997)!!!

6_ In 1998, she won all four of the G.S women's doubles titles, only the fourth in women's tennis history to do so. In 1998, she became only the third women to simultaneously hold the NO.1 ranking in both singles and doubles.

7_ World NO.1 for 209 weeks !!

8_ Ending 3 times the year as world NO.1 !!

Won 5 GS in singles / reached another 7 !!
Won 9 GS in doubles / reached another 2 !!

Won 2 year end chmpionship event in singles / reached anothr 2
Won 2 year end chmpionship event in doubles !!

Won 40 WTA tours in singles / reached another 23 !!
Won 37 WTA tours in doubles / reached another 14 !!

NOTE : SHE ACOMPLISHED ALL THAT BEFORE SHE TURNED 22 YEARS OLD!!!!!!! :shock::shock::shock:

She did not win the FO, that would be the only reason.And do not think at all I´m biased against her.Just the opposite.Here is my list of favourite players to watch and those that I´d pay more to see play:

1-.Hingis
2-.Mandlikova
3-.Graf
4-.Court
5-.Cawley
6-.King
7-.Sharapova
8-.Navratilova
9-.Evert
10-.Williams/Henin/Kuznetsova

In other words, Martina is the player I´ve enjoyed more over more than 30 years of watching tennis.And, with all her talent, if she had kept herself in the right mood, she would be probably the GOAT or one of top 3 any time.

By the way, it is quite amazing that 2 of this sport´s greatest (Martina and Federer) players happen to be from Switzerland.Other than ski champions, Switzerland is everything but a sporting country.Isn´t it amazing?

 

[Bender]

^^^
I honestly thought that was an advert at first

 

[Tennis Dunce]

You have five more to go. You got some options like Court, Wills Moody, King, Henin, Seles, Bueno, even the thus far forgotten Dorothea Douglass Lambert Chambers ( Champion 1903–1904, 1906, 1910–1911, 1913–1914) holds the record for most titles in the amateur era

1. Navratilova
2. Graf
3. Evert
4. Lenglen
5. Connolly
6. Serena
7. King/Wills Moody
9. Henin
10. Seles/Goolagong

 

[BTURNER]

1. Navratilova
2. Graf
3. Evert
4. Lenglen
5. Connolly
6. Serena
7. King/Wills Moody
9. Henin
10. Seles/Goolagong

I think you really underestimate Wills Moody. She is as top tier as either Lenglen or Connolly. She was as adept on the dirt as the grass with 19 majors with only two losses in major play throughout her entire career one of which was at 16 years old . Guy, She did that never traveling to Australia.

 

[Tennis Dunce]

I think you really underestimate Wills Moody. She is as top tier as either Lenglen or Connolly. She was as adept on the dirt as the grass with 19 majors with only two losses in major play throughout her entire career one of which was at 16 years old . Guy, She did that never traveling to Australia.

I wanted to put her higher...I really did.