Who was Serena's best opponent?
- Thread starter KG1965
- Start date
She is the female Federer. Also, why the hell did she retire in her peak, what was that all about? My favourite female player.
Fedr and three others
Rookie
US open officials
Italian Stallion
Rookie
1.Venus
2. Henin
3. Capriati
4. Dementieva
5. Azarenka
6. Kerber
7. Hingis
8. Muguruza
9. Davenport
10. Schnyder
2. Henin
3. Capriati
4. Dementieva
5. Azarenka
6. Kerber
7. Hingis
8. Muguruza
9. Davenport
10. Schnyder
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Service Ace
Hall of Fame
Henin is the most overrated tennis player in WTA history. Has a losing record against Serena but for some reason is worshipped on this forum like the next coming.
Tanya
Hall of Fame
Why Schynder??
I can't think of one memorable match between the two of them
MichaelNadal
Bionic Poster
Her level was insane sometimes though.
Stretchy Man
Professional
Her losing record is 6-8 against the greatest female player ever.
Artificial Grass
Rookie
What about Clijsters? Didn't she beat Serena a few times? Especially in that infamous 2009 USO match.
Tanya
Hall of Fame
Clijsters only beat her one other time outside of the 09 USO SF, but had some memorable matches with Serena at the 2003 AO and 2001 IW.
Artificial Grass
Rookie
Ah I see. Makes sense then why people haven't mentioned her. I thought she would have had more wins over Serena than just two.
NaomiKonjuhPotapova
G.O.A.T.
She lost to Venus and Kerber twice in GS final.
Azure
G.O.A.T.
I like this list...might swap positions 1 and 2 and put Clijsters in here somewhere.
Quite Please
Rookie
Motherhood
Quite Please
Rookie
If Federer had that weak competition he would be sitting on 30 slams...
skaj
Legend
He had his share of weak competition...
Tommy Haas
Hall of Fame
Definitely and also laziness because she doesn't put in the miles anymore on tour and only wants play and win slams. The problem is that she needs the extra matches to stay in shape. She isn't Venus and naturally skinny. It's either that or cut back on her trips to Home Town Buffet.
ibbi
G.O.A.T.
Well, for the past 10 years that's a very good question... There hasn't been anybody consistently, and that's the problem for me. Azarenka and Muguruza are probably the two closest off the top of my head who have had something close to a prolonged rivalry with her over a couple of years.
Back before that she has loads of great rivals - Hingis, Venus, Henin, Capriati, Davenport, Clijsters, Mauresmo, Dementieva, even Sharapova back then. I think for the relative closeness of the rivalries Hingis, Henin, Elena and Capriati were the most interesting and entertaining.
The Venus-Serena one should technically be up there, but to me those matches are 90% of the time so massively underwhelming with neither of them playing with anything like the passion and intensity that they do when they play other people that I don't really even take it very seriously.
Back before that she has loads of great rivals - Hingis, Venus, Henin, Capriati, Davenport, Clijsters, Mauresmo, Dementieva, even Sharapova back then. I think for the relative closeness of the rivalries Hingis, Henin, Elena and Capriati were the most interesting and entertaining.
The Venus-Serena one should technically be up there, but to me those matches are 90% of the time so massively underwhelming with neither of them playing with anything like the passion and intensity that they do when they play other people that I don't really even take it very seriously.
Kobble
Hall of Fame
Imagine if Nadal and Djokovic retired at 28.
Quite Please
Rookie
Yes, and so does Djokovic at the moment. Djokovic fans try to spin it that meeting a 8 time champ is tough....it would be....it he wasn't as old as Father Time himself.
How many times have they not discredited "ancient 35 year old Agassi with his broken back" for being easy competition, but an almost 38 year-old Fed is tough.
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Lleytonstation
Talk Tennis Guru
Her daughter. She has not won since. Longest streak without a major?
I think many thought she would come back and win a few more no brainer. But I think we are finding out how hard it truly is. Not sure if Kim won after or before the baby?
I think many thought she would come back and win a few more no brainer. But I think we are finding out how hard it truly is. Not sure if Kim won after or before the baby?
But having competition is also an advantage. Makes you also play better, so it evens itself out.
Why are top WTA pros practicing with ATP guys if having more competition isn't an advantage?
Quite Please
Rookie
Yeah, or more like 26, like Henin
Mr.Lob
G.O.A.T.
Doesnt take that much to get in the Hall of Fame. A couple of slams. Halep like numbers. The real question is how many all time greats has she played? None. No tier 1 greats...like Fed has with Nadal and Djokovic.
Service Ace
Hall of Fame
Venus is an ATG
Mr.Lob
G.O.A.T.
Tier 2. She's not up there with the Serena, Graf, Evert type of players.
Italian Stallion
Rookie
Well, I couldn't think of anyone else. She has a 4-8 record against Serena. I guess you could replace her with Sharapova, Clijsters, Halep or Sanchez Vicario but they're all lame rivalries.Why Schynder??
chimneysweep
Semi-Pro
It is 6-8. That is a darn good record against Serena actually.
I dont know how Henin is overrated. She is joint 2nd best player of the last 20 years with Venus. If people talked about her as the GOAT she would be, but I sure as heck have never heard that. That would be Seles who barely has more slams than Henin and like Henin no Wimbledons but still has a large and utterly delusional fan base who talk her up as GOAT, LOL!
To the thread question Venus and Henin tied.
chimneysweep
Semi-Pro
Clijsters beat prime Serena in a U.S Open semi, YEC final, and was a point from ending the Serena Slam dream in 2003. She also served for the match to put Serena out of the 99 U.S Open which ended up being her 1st slam as a 15 year old. She is easily top 10 worthy and above Schnyder who just beat Serena in some irrelevant matches and events.
chimneysweep
Semi-Pro
Seles and King are also Tier 2 really.
chimneysweep
Semi-Pro
In fairness
A)Federer fans do build up old Agassi as competition when talking about the mid 2000s, so by that logic they are no better.
B)Tennis is clearly getting older for whatever reason (medicine, doctors, training, science), 38 today must be atleast as young as 35 15 years ago. Federer has far fewer major physical problems as old Agassi did, and Federer >>> Agassi anyway, with all due respect to Agassi who is a great player himself, shown again by pushing peak Federer hard in his mid 30s a few times.
Yes Fed, Djokovic, Nadal have all had weak competition in some regards, most of all by several useless generations of players in a row extending their careers.
skaj
Legend
Advantage for us fans, not for the player's wins.
skaj
Legend
PDJ
G.O.A.T.
I immediately thought of Capriarti and Dementieva.
They had some great and exciting matches against Williams. And neither was afraid of her.
I ruled out both Venus and Henin purely for personal reasons: I didn't like Henin, so rarely watched her. And I don't recall many exciting matches with Venus, but admittedly didn't watch many because, for me, I felt uncomfortable watching two sisters slugging it out but lacking the intensity evident against other opposition. It felt more pantomime than tennis.
Cornet should be considered as she's been pretty successful against Williams.
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