MEAC_ALLAMERICAN
Legend
Not yet man!!!
Why Jelena Jankovic is and deserves #1
- Thread starter benz1
- Start date
Not yet man!!!
mrDamien
Hall of Fame
Is it because thats no ship or cruise to Melbourne?
MEAC_ALLAMERICAN
Legend
lol, you are too funny. We will talk about this in the Australian Open thread. Let's keep on topic.
tennis-hero
Banned
the slams should be worth more points really
but she has been the most consistent, and rankings dont lie....... i suppose
well done to her, hope she uses this as a means to get a few slams under her belt
but she has been the most consistent, and rankings dont lie....... i suppose
well done to her, hope she uses this as a means to get a few slams under her belt
thalivest
Banned
That is not going to happen until she actually does what a #1 should do at the very least. WIN a slam title. Another way womens tennis is an embarassment is with all these slamless for awhile, or even slamless for their careers #1. First Hingis late in 2001 holding #1 when she hadnt won a slam title in over 2 and a half years. Then the nonsense of slamless Davenport ending 2001 #1 over 2-slam winners Venus and Capriati. Then career slamless Clijsters becoming #1 in 2003. Davenport who hadnt won a slam title in over 4 or 5 years becoming #1 for parts of 2004 and 2005, and even ending both years #1. All nonsense, and it continues now with slamless Jankovic at #1.
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David_Is_Right
Semi-Pro
Totally agree.
BallzofSkill
Semi-Pro
it's like taking the Matt Serra route to being world number 1. When he defeated Georges St. Pierre he won the welterweight belt and became "#1", but only as a technicality. No one would take him in a rematch with GSP. So yes, she's 'technically' number 1 but only on paper.
TheTruth
G.O.A.T.
Don't understand the notion of having to win a grand slam to be #1. Shouldn't consistency matter too? Jelena has outperformed everyone else on the tour this season except Serena and Venus. It isn't her fault they didn't play enough tournaments. I guess it doesn't matter though because there will always be detractors. Some even think Ivanovic is a better #1 although she hasn't done much besides and since the French. No, the WTA got it right. Jelena deserves the #1 ranking and next year there will a slam or two to go along with it! This is Jelena's time.
BallzofSkill
Semi-Pro
The WTA is only as good as who their number 1 player is. Imagine if the ATP was like this, where a Jankovic type player was #1. They'd be the laughing stock of the sports world. In addition to everything else going on with the WTA competition.
So yes, give JJ the #1, but it's meaningless at this point. People don't seem to get that having her as JJ makes the WTA look even more pathetic.
So yes, give JJ the #1, but it's meaningless at this point. People don't seem to get that having her as JJ makes the WTA look even more pathetic.
split-step
Professional
List of WTA year-end #1's:
Chris Evert
Martina Navratilova
Steffi Graf
Monica Seles
Martina Hingis
Lindsay Davenport
Serena Williams
Justine Henin
Jelena Jankovic??????????????????????????????????????????????????
This reads like one of those 'odd man out' questions.
Let me make myself clear. It is PATHETIC and INCREDIBLY LAME that women's tennis has sunk to it's lowest lows ever by having SLAMLESS JJ be a year end #1. (If Serena was more dedicated she could have gotten her second year end #1 this year but that is obviously not her priority)
And sorry but that abysmal record against Justine, Clijsters, Ivanovic, Sharapova basically all players of note except Venus just show she is in a different league than they are.
She is playing 5 different tournaments at the end of the year to pad up her ranking. Who does that?? Just because she is playing horrible talent who can't move forward. Justine and Mauresmo wrote the book on how to beat Jelena. Be fit and move forward and take her no pace defensive shots out of the air.
For goodness sakes, Jelena actually started coming into net against Justine because she couldn't find a way to beat her. Justine made Jelena have to change her game!!
Jelena's game is B game that does not win slams.
She does not deserve to be a year end #1. Disgrace to women's tennis.
Chris Evert
Martina Navratilova
Steffi Graf
Monica Seles
Martina Hingis
Lindsay Davenport
Serena Williams
Justine Henin
Jelena Jankovic??????????????????????????????????????????????????
This reads like one of those 'odd man out' questions.
Let me make myself clear. It is PATHETIC and INCREDIBLY LAME that women's tennis has sunk to it's lowest lows ever by having SLAMLESS JJ be a year end #1. (If Serena was more dedicated she could have gotten her second year end #1 this year but that is obviously not her priority)
And sorry but that abysmal record against Justine, Clijsters, Ivanovic, Sharapova basically all players of note except Venus just show she is in a different league than they are.
She is playing 5 different tournaments at the end of the year to pad up her ranking. Who does that?? Just because she is playing horrible talent who can't move forward. Justine and Mauresmo wrote the book on how to beat Jelena. Be fit and move forward and take her no pace defensive shots out of the air.
For goodness sakes, Jelena actually started coming into net against Justine because she couldn't find a way to beat her. Justine made Jelena have to change her game!!
Jelena's game is B game that does not win slams.
She does not deserve to be a year end #1. Disgrace to women's tennis.
chrisdaniel
Semi-Pro
...
The comment above me sums up one little statement. Jelena Jankovic has improved. Bring on the Slams.
The comment above me sums up one little statement. Jelena Jankovic has improved. Bring on the Slams.
zagor
Bionic Poster
I more or less agree with you even though I like Jelena a lot.The best player of the year should have atleast one slam title IMO and Jelena even though she was madly consistent this year just didn't grab a slam.However I still greatly respect her great work ethic,fitness and desire to be number one(something Serena doesn't have)and I think she's due to a slam title next year(best chances at AO and FO however she's a contender at USO as well).
cknobman
Legend
Against the list of other YE#1's, no Jelena Dosnt. Against the current field of players, yes Jelena does. Sad or not you cant be mad a Jelena or show disrepect to her because its ALL of the women on tour right now that suck, so be upset with them and put them down, not Jelena.
Djokovicfan4life
Legend
If the slams were worth more points it would actually help Jankovic, if you think about. She usually makes the semi finals of all the grand slams and made the finals of the U.S. Open. Now let's compare that to all of the grand slam winners this year.
Sharapova won the Australian Open, then she got injured and hasn't done a thing on the tour since. Ivanovic won the French Open, and now she's in one of the biggest slumps of her career. Venus and Serena won Wimbledon and the U.S. Open, but their lack of tournaments coupled with some very poor results in some of the few that they played in kept them from really dominating the WTA.
Serena lost to Li Na in the first round of the China Open and Venus lost to Flavia Penneta in the Kremlin Cup. You can bet that the chances of Jankovic losing early like that in a tournament are very slim indeed. Like it or not, consistency matters when it comes to the rankings system.
mtommer
Hall of Fame
Or, to put this all in perspective, tennis is not just the Grand Slams, far from it in fact. Popularity in tennis comes from the Grand Slams because that is what is broadcast to the public. The highest competition is not limited to just the Grand Slams and as a result of that, the ratings reflect this reality.
Like it or not, and I don't like Jelena nor do I think shes number one on her own merits moreso than others not living up to their potential (big difference BTW), she still deserves the number one ranking because shes pretty much winning the most consistently. I also don't like her because she looks to much like an old girlfriend, srly...and yes, I'm embarrassed to say it...but at least I can maintain a modicum of objectivity despite my personal biases.
What we need is more television coverage for the different tournaments besides the Grand Slams. Maybe then people would see a far more complete picture of all players.
Like it or not, and I don't like Jelena nor do I think shes number one on her own merits moreso than others not living up to their potential (big difference BTW), she still deserves the number one ranking because shes pretty much winning the most consistently. I also don't like her because she looks to much like an old girlfriend, srly...and yes, I'm embarrassed to say it...but at least I can maintain a modicum of objectivity despite my personal biases.
What we need is more television coverage for the different tournaments besides the Grand Slams. Maybe then people would see a far more complete picture of all players.
soyizgood
G.O.A.T.
JJ is out of Zurich. Despite the loss, she pretty much has clinched #1 for the year. It's a strange year to see the top 2 held by players that didn't win slams, but they cleaned up on the tier-1's while Safina won the silver in Beijing. In the absence of consistent play and health from the slam winners, JJ and Safina are likely to be holding those spots for the rest of the year.
mentalcase
Semi-Pro
The rankings reward consistency. Accept it.
Serena is a part time player
Venus has not won a tier 1 title since 2004!
Ana suffered an injury and is low on confidence
Maria is nursing an injured shoulder
Safina and Jelena is all that's left so it's not surprising they are 1 and 2.
Serena is a part time player
Venus has not won a tier 1 title since 2004!
Ana suffered an injury and is low on confidence
Maria is nursing an injured shoulder
Safina and Jelena is all that's left so it's not surprising they are 1 and 2.
There was a reason why the ATP redid their point system. It was because of Marcelos Rios. Case closed.
TheTruth
G.O.A.T.
I thought this thread was regarding the WTA where there have been numerous #1's who have reached that pinnacle without winning a grand slam. So, singling one player out and using that as a justification seems pretty weak to me, but that's just my opinion.
T
tennisgirl90
Guest
Jankovic totally deserves the number one spot. She is playing great tennis in the last few weeks and overall she's the most consistently player this year. It's not her faulth Serena en Venus play only ten tournaments per year, it's not her faulth Sharapova is injured, it's not her faulth Ivanovic can't handle the pressure, etc.
Yes, she hasn't won a Slam, but she's still young en will get more chanches in the future. I'm sure she ever will win a Slam.
And of course she's not de greatest number one in the history, but she's still a worthy number one.
Yes, she hasn't won a Slam, but she's still young en will get more chanches in the future. I'm sure she ever will win a Slam.
And of course she's not de greatest number one in the history, but she's still a worthy number one.
Spot on, i find it hard to see why people don't see a problem with her being number 1 no slam and only 1 slam final to show for it.
Every sport you can think of needs you to win the biggest prize to be the best and to be numbe 1. Rafa 5 slams only just claimnng number 1, serena did it wins US Open gets to number one not win a couple of tiers 1's and be number 1, next you'll only need to get to a handful of semi's thourghout the year and get to number 1, not great at all.
gj011
Banned
Yet again people refuse to see the reason.
So tell us then, smart guy, who should be the #1 right at this moment and at the end of the year? Who is the player who has better results than Jelena Jankovic this year?
Sharapova? Ivanovic? Venus? Serena? Safina? Dementieva? Who.
Sharapova is hurt and didn't win anything since AO.
Ivanovic is playing like crap after the FO.
Venus didnt' do anything since Wimbledon, and nothing before that.
Serena, you could make an argument here, she has one GS and two tier i titles but nothing to show after that. She is not consistent enough and simply does not play enough. She got her #1 spot after USO but was not able to hang on to it due to crappy play and supposed injury, while Jankovic was winning title after title after title.
Safina has no GS title as well.
Dementieva, see under Safina.
Jankovic is clearly the #1 player in the world right now. That is the fact, like it or not.
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split-step
Professional
Jankovic is a poor man's Myskina.
Nothing will change the fact that Jankovic is THE WORST year end #1 in WTA history.
Let's take a look at the former year end #1's and what they had accomplished the first time they took that spot:
Chris Evert:
Became year end #1 for first time in 1975.
# of Slams: 4 (74 French, 74 Wimbledon, 75 French, 75 US Open)
Martina Navratilova
Became year end #1 for first time in 1978
# of Slams: 1 (78 Wimbledon beating former #1)
Steffi Graf
Became year end #1 for first time in 1987
# of Slams: 1 (87 French Open beating former #1)
Monica Seles
Became year end #1 for first time in 1991
# of Slams: 4!! (90 French, 91 Australian, 91 french, 91 USO beating Steffi/previous #1 and Navrat in 2 of those finals)
Martina Hingis
Became year end #1 for first time in 1997
# of Slams: 3 (97 Australian, 97 Wimbledon, 97 US)
Lindsay Davenport
Became year end #1 for first time in 1998
# of Slams: 1 (98 USO beating previous #1)
Serena Williams
Became year end #1 for first and only time in 2002
# of Slams: 3 (02 French, 02 Wimbledon, 02 USO)
Justine Henin
Became year end #1 for first time in 2003
# of Slams: 2 (03 French, 03 USO)
Jelena Jankovic
Will become year end #1 for first (AND ONLY) time in 2008
# of Slams: Big fat 0. (Couldn't beat an over-the-hill/semi-retired Serena Williams)
Record against previous #1: 0-9
It's a shame she is now amongst this elite list of players as year end #1s.
As one can see, all year end #1's had at least 1 slam before they took that spot. THey almost all had beaten the previous #1 in that slam.
Compare to Jelena who is 0-9 with Henin. Not even one match won. Pathetic.
She is a B-level player. Lower level Myskina (who I dont' like but at least she won a slam).
WTA is in shambles right now...
Nothing will change the fact that Jankovic is THE WORST year end #1 in WTA history.
Let's take a look at the former year end #1's and what they had accomplished the first time they took that spot:
Chris Evert:
Became year end #1 for first time in 1975.
# of Slams: 4 (74 French, 74 Wimbledon, 75 French, 75 US Open)
Martina Navratilova
Became year end #1 for first time in 1978
# of Slams: 1 (78 Wimbledon beating former #1)
Steffi Graf
Became year end #1 for first time in 1987
# of Slams: 1 (87 French Open beating former #1)
Monica Seles
Became year end #1 for first time in 1991
# of Slams: 4!! (90 French, 91 Australian, 91 french, 91 USO beating Steffi/previous #1 and Navrat in 2 of those finals)
Martina Hingis
Became year end #1 for first time in 1997
# of Slams: 3 (97 Australian, 97 Wimbledon, 97 US)
Lindsay Davenport
Became year end #1 for first time in 1998
# of Slams: 1 (98 USO beating previous #1)
Serena Williams
Became year end #1 for first and only time in 2002
# of Slams: 3 (02 French, 02 Wimbledon, 02 USO)
Justine Henin
Became year end #1 for first time in 2003
# of Slams: 2 (03 French, 03 USO)
Jelena Jankovic
Will become year end #1 for first (AND ONLY) time in 2008
# of Slams: Big fat 0. (Couldn't beat an over-the-hill/semi-retired Serena Williams)
Record against previous #1: 0-9
It's a shame she is now amongst this elite list of players as year end #1s.
As one can see, all year end #1's had at least 1 slam before they took that spot. THey almost all had beaten the previous #1 in that slam.
Compare to Jelena who is 0-9 with Henin. Not even one match won. Pathetic.
She is a B-level player. Lower level Myskina (who I dont' like but at least she won a slam).
WTA is in shambles right now...
Conquistador
Banned
Jankovic is really good and patient --shes the Davydenko of the womens tour
norbac
Legend
But with long hair.
gj011
Banned
You guys would never get it. The year end #1 is #1 because she was the best player that year and comparison with previous #1s is irrelevant. She is the best at the moment and that is the fact. I.E there is no other player who deserves #1 and year end #1 spot more than Jankovic RIGHT NOW. It is as simple as that.
And as a deserving #1 you simply can't call her B-level player any more. B-level players do not become year end #1s. Year end #1 makes Jankovic elite player with a place in history, since only 8 other players were able to accomplish that so far. Like it or not.
I can agree that she is the worst year end #1 so far, but that is irrelevant and does not determine if she deserved that spot this year or not.
Also comparison with Myshkina is stupid and irrelevant to #1 discussion.
Also her record against previous #1s is not 0-9 since she beat Serena 3 times. Get your facts straight.
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BallzofSkill
Semi-Pro
federer winning 3 slams 3 years in a row as well as making finals at the french 3 consecutive times shows how dominant he is as the number 1 player. no one can argue that. he's consistant and dominant.
jankovic as number 1 shows what a crapshoot and a crapfest the wta can be.
jankovic as number 1 shows what a crapshoot and a crapfest the wta can be.
martini1
Hall of Fame
I am not a huge fan of Jankovic. Her style of play is less entertaining to watch on TV. However, if you care about rankings enough to whine, then you better stick with the current rules of the game. Jankovic did not buy pts and (supposedly) she is not using any drugs to cheat either. So as of 2008, she is the player who rack up the most pts by year end and earned the right to be #1.
The rules does not say pick 1 out of the 4 Slam winners or who has a better h2h record against former #1's. Heck, if I make up the rules I could say whoever wins more + pts + no. of magazine covers + a swimsuit contest by year end in Thailand. Then there's a true #1.
:lol::lol::lol::lol:
The rules does not say pick 1 out of the 4 Slam winners or who has a better h2h record against former #1's. Heck, if I make up the rules I could say whoever wins more + pts + no. of magazine covers + a swimsuit contest by year end in Thailand. Then there's a true #1.
:lol::lol::lol::lol:
boredone3456
G.O.A.T.
If you don't like her being year end number 1 thats fine. But don't assume that she won't do it again she is young. And if she can do it without winning a major just imagine what she could do points wise when she starts winning them. Yes I think she will start winning them and I quite honestly think she will get one next year. She was the only one to make three slams semi's this year and the only top ten player apart from radwanska to make the 2nd week of all 4 majors this year, that alone puts her above the rest of this years crop.
Also, Comparing Jelena to Myskina is absurd, Jankovic is a much more accomplished player than Myskina, whose only up over jankovic is her lucky, and I repeat lucky, french open title. Also to note she never once got to the quarters there again and lost in the opening round of her title defense. That french is also the only time Myskina got to a slam semi, something Jelena did three times this past year alone. Just because she won a slam doesn't mean she is actually a better player, if that were the case would you put Iva Majoli ahead of Jankovic as well??
Yes, I will admit, compared to previous year end number ones, she is the odd one out, but look at what she has done this year and you'll see her consistancy. Take a look a the race standings, which are based on this years accomplishments, and she outranks every slam winner and was the first to qualify for the year end championships. But, as GJ stated, how she
stacks up to the past year end number ones is irrelevant because based on this year, the ranking which put all those you listed as number 1 put her there.
split-step
Professional
Or maybe you should learn to read. Jankovic's record against the previous #1 (Henin) is 0-9.
It's no coincidence that 5 of the 8 year end #1's beat the previous #1 in the slam that they won to take over that spot.
Henin's retirement threw WTA into a funk which is why Jankovic as year end #1 should have an asteriks beside it.
I am pretty sure Jankovic could have figured out a way to beat Henin and if she had done so in a slam which she ended up winning, there would be no discussion about her beign yeard end #1 right now.
Like the saying goes
"In the land of the blind, the 1-eyed man is king"
split-step
Professional
LOL!
boredone, if you are going to make statements like that, you better bring the facts.
Show me the grandslam Jelena won beating Kuznetsova, Venus Williams, Jennifer Capriati AND Elena Dementieva.
Yes that is the list of people Myskina had to beat to win her 'lucky'
roll French Open title.
boredone3456
G.O.A.T.
LOL!
boredone, if you are going to make statements like that, you better bring the facts.
Show me the grandslam Jelena won beating Kuznetsova, Venus Williams, Jennifer Capriati AND Elena Dementieva.
Yes that is the list of people Myskina had to beat to win her 'lucky'
Kuznetsova is not that impressive a win, as I would deem her lone us open lucky as well, since she got lucky against davenport and dementieva, who were both injured, and myskina almost lost it completely in the 3rd set of that match and kuznetsova is known for mental shakiness in pressure sitiatuons. As for Venus, Clay is Venus's worst surface and she is always shaky and inconsistant there, except the year she got to the final, so that win could easily be chalked up to Venus clay court struggling as well as the fact that in 04 Venus was no where near Grand slam caliber. Capriati was an impressive win though I will say that, I actually had Capriati pegged to win that year and when Myskina beat her I was shocked. Dementieva choked away the final in one of the worst displays I have ever seen. Plus...considering Myskina lost in the first round of the french 5 times, including her title defense effort, yeah I do consider her win lucky. But you don't so I'll just respectfully agree to disagree.
gj011
Banned
Well, one eyed king is still the king. So what if Jelena is one eyed queen, she is still the queen and the best player at the moment, and you should acknowledge that. Plain and simple.
Also Henin was playing like crap this whole year before her retirement and clearly would not be able to defend her year end #1. There was a good reason she decided to retire. So bringing her up here as some kind of argument for an asterisk is moot point and your pure speculation.
The only fact is that JJ is this year end #1. So give credit where credit is due.
You can moan, complain and hate all you want but that is irrelevant.
SempreSami
Hall of Fame
She's handling it better than Ivanovic at least, who everyone lets off because she's prettier.
split-step
Professional
Hi Serena, (queen of excuses) I didn't know you frequented this board.
You are hilarious. She was lucky to beat Kuznetsova, Venus, Capriati and Dementieva in a row???
You sound just like you did after losing to Henin at RG last year claiming she made 'lucky shots'. LOL. Thanks for the laugh.
split-step
Professional
If you examine the points, Henin was so far ahead of the crowd that if she had chosen to remain on the rankings, she would have still been number one after Wimbledon without playing a single tournament!!!
The evidence actually favours her defending rather than not!
There is no way you can know whether she would or wouldn't have defended her year end #1.
Plus she wasn't playing like crap.
She won Sydney.
Lost to eventual champion at AO.
Won Antwerp.
Lost to eventual Champion at Miami and lost to Dinara Safina who as we all have seen has raised the level of her game tremendously.
Even you see that if the players you say are missing/injured were playing Jankovic would be nowhere in sight i think i rest my case, four of the 6 players have slams. Your points has died on me for that very fact. Jankovic is a great player, but i'm wiating for a slam, i am sure she will, she has the tennis to win a slam but having not won is for me a big deal.
Someone said Jankovic having to beef up her ranking points by playing back to back to back just to get away from the other players is crazy and she can be caught up if she should slip up, what if she can't repeat her act this year then what? No one is talking about Safina for the very reason she has no slam,she has had a great year though.
You can say what you like about Serena she won a slam and got to number 1, she not only did that but has won 2 tier 1's back to back got to Wimbledon final, won doubles GOLD and won US open and frankly that trumps whatever Jankovic has done this year.
Even though i never liked J Henin i truly respected her game and the that fact that she didn't have to kill herself playing like Jankovic to be number 1 and lead by a country mile.
Its not about liking it or not, its a debate and difference in opinion, everyone has a right to point out what they think and i think it sucks for womens tennis to be at a point where you don't need a slam to be number 1. I would say that about any player getting to number 1 with the results Jankovic has.
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