Why Serena Williams is the real world number one
Roar Pro By mastermind5991, 19 Feb 2013 mastermind5991 is a Roar Pro
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- Serena Williams, Tennis, women's tennis, WTA
Next week Serena Williams will become the oldest woman in a long while to hold the WTA’s world No. 1 ranking.
Her quarter-final victory over Petra Kvitova in Doha has ensured she will ascend to the top of the rankings in the week starting February 18, 2013, unseating Victoria Azarenka, whose dominant spell so far this season has not been enough to stay on top for long.
If you look at the second half of last year, Williams deserves the No. 1 rank, given her dominance over Azarenka and Maria Sharapova last year.
Since hiring Patrick Mouratoglou as her coach in June last year, Williams has only lost two matches, against Angelique Kerber in Cincinnati last year and this year’s Australian Open quarter-final against Sloane Stephens.
It caps off a stunning comeback. More than 18 months ago, the American had plunged to from 25 to 175, following a lengthy spell in which she injured her foot during Wimbledon celebrations in Germany and was unable to play for almost 12 months.
Many thought that it would be the end of Serena Williams. It wasn’t. She was able to reach the final of the US Open in 2011, defeating Victoria Azarenka and then world No. 1 Caroline Wozniacki en route, before falling to Samantha Stosur.
She ended 2011 ranked world No. 12 and with nothing to defend for the first half of 2012, she was in a strong position to re-enter the top 10 during the season. That’s what she did.
Williams was slow to get going in 2012, suffering an unexpected fourth-round loss to Ekaterina Makarova at the Australian Open. Results were uninspiring until the clay court season started.
She got on a roll, winning in Charleston and Madrid (beating Azarenka in the final in the latter tournament) and getting to within a match of the final in Rome before being forced to withdraw.
But all this good form she carried into Roland Garros counted for nothing when the American suffered a shocking first round loss at the hands of Virginie Razzano. It was the first time she had ever lost in the first round of a Grand Slam tournament (her previous worst result was on her Grand Slam debut at the 1998 Australian Open, when she lost to her sister Venus in the second round).
What we didn’t know was that it would trigger the dominance that we are currently seeing from her.
She entered Wimbledon seeded sixth. She came close to disaster twice in the early rounds, in the third round against Zheng Jie and in the fourth against Yaroslava Shvedova (who had given Sara Errani a golden bagel in the previous round).
She then proceeded to end the title defence of Petra Kvitova and defeated Azarenka in the semis. Her performance made her an instant favourite to win Wimbledon and her final opponent, Agnieszka Radwanska, was not expected to challenge her. Or was she?
After Serena took the first set 6-1, it seemed like a regulation win, until Radwanska rallied to take the match into a third set. Serena held on to win her first Grand Slam title in two years, return to the top four, and cap off a great comeback to tennis.
What followed was an endless run of domination from the American. She won the Olympic gold medal on the very same grass courts at the All England Club, dropping just 17 games en route and not dropping a set. This culminated in dominant victories over Azarenka in the semi-finals and Sharapova in the final, where she dropped just four games.
Moving onto the US Open, she was again unstoppable as she won her fourth title in New York. Nobody was able to challenge her in the early rounds and the only resistance came from Azarenka in a classic three-set final which had it all: drama, tension, and unbearable moments.
Azarenka was just two points away from the championship with Serena serving at 3-5 down in the decider until the American reeled off four games in a row to win the title. That just shows how good Serena is.
In the year-end championships in Istanbul, Williams was again too good, not dropping a set in five matches as she marched all the way to the title, defeating Sharapova in the championship match and avenging the 2004 decider when Sharapova won after trailing 4-0 in the final set.
These phenomenal results saw Serena Williams finish the year ranked third behind Azarenka and Sharapova.
It was thought that Serena would carry her dominance into season 2013, and all went to script when she won the title in Brisbane, thumping Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova in the final.
She then had a dominant run through the early rounds of the Australian Open, until a back injury proved her undoing in the quarter-finals against the woman I like to call “the next Serena Williams”, Sloane Stephens.
And now, finally, to Doha. Now we know why Williams wanted to play through the Middle East series. To regain that top ranking she last held on October 10, 2010.
Victory over Petra Kvitova ensured her return to the world’s top ranking, which she will hold for at least a week, depending how she and Azarenka go in a Dubai tournament that neither played last year.
Last year we saw Roger Federer become the oldest man to ever be ranked world No. 1, after his seventh Wimbledon title.
Now Williams has done the same (though it’s been seven and a half months since she won Wimbledon). It will also be the first time Novak Djokovic and Williams have held the top ranking in the ATP and WTA simultaneously.
It’ll be interesting to see how long Williams can hold on. Last year, Federer reigned for four months before Djokovic reclaimed the ranking on the eve of the ATP World Tour Finals.
Age seems to be no barrier for either Federer or Williams, as their Wimbledon titles last year can attest.
The Crowd Says (33) | Page 1 of Comments
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February 19th 2013 @ 9:28am
Bobo said | February 19th 2013 @ 9:28am | Report comment
Is this the same Serena Williams who retreated to her ‘panic room’ and called Police 911 when an out-of-competitiondrug tester turned up at her house at the appointed time?
February 20th 2013 @ 2:47am
dasilva said | February 20th 2013 @ 2:47am | Report comment
http://www.tmz.com/2011/11/02/serena-williams-panic-room-drug-test-urine/
Yep and the crazy thing is that you expect the drug tester to test her when the whole thing was cleared up or the day after. However records shows she received zero out of competition that year.
http://www.itftennis.com/media/136638/136638.pdf
Look down at her name and you’ll fine Out of competition test to be blank
So her plan of calling the police worked as she didn’t give a sample that year
February 20th 2013 @ 2:54am
dasilva said | February 20th 2013 @ 2:54am | Report comment
repeat post
February 19th 2013 @ 10:12am
Johnno said | February 19th 2013 @ 10:12am | Report comment
1970-2013
-Serena Williams is now the undisputed, best female singles tennis player in the last 40 years, done.
February 20th 2013 @ 12:45am
amazonfan said | February 20th 2013 @ 12:45am | Report comment
I would dispute that, so perhaps next time you want to make a black & white statement like that, you can place it in the form of an opinion. Personally, I would place Evert, Graf, & Navratalova all above Serena.
This reminds me of when you wrote that it was determined that Kallis was a better all-rounder than Sobers (!), when it was just your opinion. You think that Kallis was better than Sobers/Serena is the best since 1970, fine. But don’t pretend that your opinion is anything more than that.
February 20th 2013 @ 12:53am
Johnno said | February 20th 2013 @ 12:53am | Report comment
Serena, amazonfan has had to play in the modern era, and the depths bigger, . Players like Daria Safina, Ana Ivanovic, Jelana Jankovic,Maresmo,Sharapova, Kitavova, Venus Williams, Hingis, Kournakova,Schiavone,Molik, Dokic, Stosur, Li Na, Azarenka, yet she is still no 1 at 31.
Evert and Navratalova had Evon Cawley, and a fading Billy Jean King to deal with, and mid range players like Sukova, wendy Turnbull, Hanna Manlakova,. A young Steffu Graf emerged but Evert and Navratalova were ageing.
But the week to week depth is better now, the top 30 women are vastly superior now to the top 30 women say 1970-95. The difference between rank no 25 and rank no 5 in 1980 or 1990, was big. Not anymore the gap is closing. So each match is more energy sapping for Serena.
Plus the video technology. Opponents now can do video analysis and work out Serena’s strengths and weaknesses. Equally she has access to the same technology , so that evens itself out. But the ability to exploit her game is easier now as opponents can find out more about her game than in the 70′s and 80′s.
February 20th 2013 @ 1:14am
amazonfan said | February 20th 2013 @ 1:14am | Report comment
Yes, Serena plays in the modern era, which also means she has advantages those other players didn’t have, such as better technology, superior science etc….. Ultimately, the modern era argument only goes so far. Not to mention that while the depth may be better during Serena’s era (debatable), there are arguably less great players during her era than there was during the eras of the other players.
“But the ability to exploit her game is easier now as opponents can find out more about her game than in the 70′s and 80′s.”
Not necessarily true. Considering the number of times Navratalova and Evert went up against each other, you dont think they had the ability to exploit each other’s game?
Anyway, my point is that you can’t make a blanket statement like that when it is just your opinion.
February 19th 2013 @ 10:24am
Johnno said | February 19th 2013 @ 10:24am | Report comment
1980-2013: I was editing and time ran out on my above post. So here is my list.
-Serena Williams is now the undisputed, best female singles tennis player in the last 30 years, done.
1)Serena Williams
2)Monica Seles
3)Steffi Graf
4)Matina Navratalova
5)Chris Evert
6)Justine Henin
7)Venus Williams
8)Jenfier Capriati
9)Martina Hingis
10) Arantxa Sanchez-Vicario
February 19th 2013 @ 12:02pm
Neuen said | February 19th 2013 @ 12:02pm | Report comment
Since when?
Is she that good or is the competition that poor? Woman’s tennis has become more of a fashion parade than quality tennis.
Most Grand Slam singles titles
Margaret Court 24
Steffi Graf 22
Helen Wills Moody 19
Chris Evert 18
Martina Navratilova 18
Serena Williams 15
Steffi Graf one of the few who won all 4 Grand slam titles in one year. Serena not achieved that
February 19th 2013 @ 12:32pm
Johnno said | February 19th 2013 @ 12:32pm | Report comment
I’m baseing it on last 30 years 1980-2013. Court retired int he early 70′s. Court is pushing for all time top player no doubt. Evan Cawley also had a brilliant record the Australian she won 7 grand slams, made 18 finals.
Even though Graf won the grand slam , Serena is still better and has been more dominant.
Graf holds the record for longest consecutive weeks at no 1, Most weeks at No.1 :
Steffi Graf (377 weeks) .
Serena Williams played in a more dominant era, she had more competition, Graf had an ageing Navratalova, Seles, and Sabatini, and Sanchez Vicaro. Seles really was the only 1 who got in her face. And Seles post stabbing head to head in grand slam finals vs Graf leads.
Capriati a 16 yr old Capriati beat Graff at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics to get the gold. Graf got the singles gold at 1988 at Seoul.
The modern generation of womens tennis has far more depth. And Serena is no 1 again at 31 despite all the younger generation breathing down her neck, and far more talented and bigger , depth than Graff’s time.
Serena Williams has stood the test of time like no other women’s player in the last 30 years.
Is Court or WIlliams better tough call. More people play tennis now than in court’s time 60′s and early 70′s, and the depth is bigger now.
February 19th 2013 @ 12:35pm
Neuen said | February 19th 2013 @ 12:35pm | Report comment
Steffi Graf – winner of 22 Slam career Titles, and the only woman to win the Golden Slam. Is that enough dominance for you
February 19th 2013 @ 1:19pm
Johnno said | February 19th 2013 @ 1:19pm | Report comment
She was dominant, but remember when seles came on the scene 91-93 Seles was the top goat, Then the stabbing, Graff got a bit of a walk in the park 91-97 until Hingis showed up. That was a lame time for women’s tennis 91-97. Hingis herself wasn’t great for that long, Hingis born in 1980 , her last grand slam win was in 1999. So basically Hingis was past her prime by 1999, no. Just better more talented players and not that much younger than her eg like 1 or 2 years difference came on the scene and were part of the power generation of women’s tennis.’
Graf is great, i had her at 3 and rate her highly of course she is dominant she gets my dominatrix tick lol, but Seles was more in my view. The grand slam finals head to head 91-93. Seles was 5 years younger than Graf too,. Graf born in 1968 and Seles 1973. But Seles was not dominating her, but she was beating her when it counted, but not by much. Seles first kicked Graf’s ass as a 16 and half yr old ,in the French open final in 1990 , in straight sets.
So the old Graff was past here prime BS, is a load of nonsense, like the Federer was past his prime BS myth when Nadal started kicking Federer’s ass. Nadal’s 1st win over Fed was as a 17yr old on 1 of the 2 of Fed’s favourite surfaces Hardcourt.
February 19th 2013 @ 1:46pm
Neuen said | February 19th 2013 @ 1:46pm | Report comment
Margaret Court was a hard court specialist. Graf still holds the record for record for the highest number of weeks with a number one ranking (an incredible 377), at one stage staying at the top spot for 186 consecutive weeks. Graff was a specialist on all surfaces and without modern designer medicine she pumped out a serve of 180km/h with lightning foot speed.
Seles dominated for a year but her head was at the wrong place most of the time and the grunting was something new for tennis players to get use to. Dunno why she has to fake a orgasm when she hit the ball. No one said Graff was past her prime as she beat Seles in 95 to take another US open title
February 19th 2013 @ 2:00pm
Johnno said | February 19th 2013 @ 2:00pm | Report comment
Neuan, Seles was in command from mid 90 to 93, 3 years. She was going to head to head with Graf , from the French open 1990 to her stabbing in mid 93.
Graf was an awsome athlete ahead of her time, . Hingis was overrated and if one looks closely her stats prove it.
Margaret Court was brilliant , I never saw her play fo course but here stats are phenomenal, Rod Laver like. I just didn’t look at adding Billie Jean King or Margaret Court coz they were 70′s but they would be seriously pushing the top 10 and Margaret Court would be pushing for no 1.
But no1 I will still go serena williams coz she is competing, when tennis far more global than in Court’s time or when Graf was starting out and peaking 1988-95.
But Court at no 2 if we are going back 40 years 19702-13. Billy Jean King at 6 to 8 somewhere in there.
Those grunts were like orgasm in style no doubt about it, but hay it was the 90′s.
February 19th 2013 @ 2:10pm
Neuen said | February 19th 2013 @ 2:10pm | Report comment
She still did not manage tow in Wimbledon. One she couldn’t play due to shin splits and other one was Graff thumped her in the 92 final 2–6, 1–6. Her stabbing her injuries took a few weeks to heal but like I said her head was somewhere else and she came back after 3 years only.
February 19th 2013 @ 3:18pm
clipper said | February 19th 2013 @ 3:18pm | Report comment
I have to agree with you this time, Johnno, although any of the top 5 women you have chosen have claims for the No. 1 spot. Seles was at her peak and No. 1 when she was stabbed and that is one of the great tragedies in sport – who knows how much longer she could have competed at that level, but she never got to those heights again (even if she won the AO) and I loved the double handed style on both sides.
February 19th 2013 @ 3:26pm
Neuen said | February 19th 2013 @ 3:26pm | Report comment
She wasn’t out for 3 years due to the stabbing. Like I said the stabbing healed within a couple of months, She had a dying father and US citizenship that needed her attention.
February 19th 2013 @ 2:45pm
peeeko said | February 19th 2013 @ 2:45pm | Report comment
Rocks in your head if you rate Seles that high
February 19th 2013 @ 3:01pm
Neuen said | February 19th 2013 @ 3:01pm | Report comment
Maybe it was that grunt that tickled his fancy
February 19th 2013 @ 3:06pm
peeeko said | February 19th 2013 @ 3:06pm | Report comment
All time record Graf 10 seles 5
February 19th 2013 @ 3:38pm
Johnno said | February 19th 2013 @ 3:38pm | Report comment
Grand slam finals before the stabbing .
Seles 3-1
February 19th 2013 @ 3:50pm
Neuen said | February 19th 2013 @ 3:50pm | Report comment
Before she got fat IMO
February 20th 2013 @ 12:36am
peeeko said | February 20th 2013 @ 12:36am | Report comment
grafs overall record is vastly superior
February 19th 2013 @ 3:54pm
Johnno said | February 19th 2013 @ 3:54pm | Report comment
Neuen if one factor is in Graf’s favour even before the stabbing was surfaces. Graf had it hands down over Seles.
Would Seles of ever got good at grass like Andre Agassi got better and won in 1992, we will never know.
It was Seles least favourite surface. Federer is better on clay than Seles is on grass. Seles was so young when the stabbing happened only 20, so still had yodels of time to get good on grass if the stabbing never happened.
But it did so we will never know.
Graf won 6-2 6-1 in 1992 at wimbledon over Seles.
But on clay and hard court, it was Monica Seles. Mind you what has to be put into context in that match was, there was 2 and a halve hours worth of rain delays, and who knows what happen in rain delays. Rain delays are strange things, and can help or hinder a player.
Think Tim Henman vs Ivanesivic, Tim Henman 2 sets to 1 up, had him on the rack 5-4 up in the 4th set then the rain came,.ineven Rafter vs Sampras, Rafter won the 1st set then a rain delay happened and Sampras found his groove.
So Graf got 2 and a half hours with of rain delays in that wimbledon final, and a rain delay is like a penalty shoot out it can go either way, and there was some crucial moments when the rain delays happened.
And the rain delays were split into 2 rain delays. 1 was for 40 minutes, then the next was for 1 hour 45 minute. And back then on grass , with the grass technology not as good then, the ball would of been all over the place too, and Graf was more athletic, around the court, so this would of favoured her to nullify Seles power, as the court would of been playing all sorts of tricks.
So we will never know if Seles would of been like Nadal or Agassi and got decent on grass.
February 19th 2013 @ 4:00pm
Johnno said | February 19th 2013 @ 4:00pm | Report comment
Seles beat a 35 yrd old grass court specialist in Navrataolva in 92 to make that wimbeldon final, and had to work hard winning 3 sets, and Graff beat Sabatini in 2 sets in the semi, so Seles also had the tougher semi-final.
February 19th 2013 @ 4:05pm
Neuen said | February 19th 2013 @ 4:05pm | Report comment
Johnno it works both ways. Its all about keeping a cool head. Seles was young but like Hingis they falter under pressure which is mostly off the court incidents. Seles had death threats even before the stabbing as she was from a country torn up in war and mass killings.
Graff kept her head in the game even with off the court incidents like her dads tax evasion but Seles and many others couldn’t do that. That is why one had a long career stretching over a decade filled with grand slams and the other a period of dominance of 2 to 3 years
February 19th 2013 @ 4:16pm
Johnno said | February 19th 2013 @ 4:16pm | Report comment
Seles was 5 years younger too Neuen. So she was probably less mature. But also I agree she was probably mentally weaker. Graff had a tough childhood, and her father’s problem. And was 5 years older. Seles had to deal with the stabbing she was born in December 1973 it happened around june so was 19 and a half.. If that hypothetically happened to Graff at the same time Graff would of been 24, far more older and mature to deal with such an incident.
The stabbing happened in 1993 I just found out on the net, Ironically in Hamburg Germany by a crazed Steffi Graf fan. I think at 19 would of been much tougher than if that happened to Graff hypothetically at 24.
But in saying that mental toughness is an issue, and Graff did have an awful childhood, and a very difficult father, and an obsessed German paparazzi hounding Graf everywhere she went . Graf was manually very tough no doubt about it.
The key is as well is how much power did Seles lost in her shoulder, I don’t know. Seles did win 1 final Grand slam in 1996 at the Australian open. So Seles being born in December 1973, and the OZ open being in January 1996, was on just turned 22, hardly old or, past it.
Maybe Seles was a predictable player, and as the game changed more , she could be exposed , Graf had a better all round game, and could volley too, when Volleying still had a little bit of value.
February 19th 2013 @ 6:12pm
Neuen said | February 19th 2013 @ 6:12pm | Report comment
John I totally agree with you there. Well put. Seles didn’t lose power just she battle depression and picked up lots of weight. She looked a bit chubby when she came back. I don’t know if she tried to build muscle as her shoulders looked a bit broader as well.
Modern tennis players seem to spent lot of times on trying to get broad shoulders for power. Dunno if you can remember what Mauresmo did to Graff the one year. She powered her of the court and for less tones skinnier woman from the old era that was a bit overwhelming. Now technology balls training is so much different than back then and it would really be wrong to compare Billy Jean King or Martina to modern day power players. At times when I saw Serena I thought Emile Heskey was playing tennis!
But talking about players from yester year my favorite was Goran Ivenisivic or how ever you spell it. Serving missiles and it was great to see him win a grandslam as if there was any who deserved it it was him.
February 19th 2013 @ 7:39pm
Johnno said | February 19th 2013 @ 7:39pm | Report comment
Neuen good points. At the end of the day in sport, when all is said and done, the word or phrase hypotheticals comes up.” We can all live in hypotheticals” but it is what it is , things happen good and bad, and the athlete has to deal with the cards there dealt.
And some will have tougher challenges others less, and unless we experienced it, hard to say who suffers, But some reality check. I have just read the basic medical report on Seles injury, and no nerves were damaged etc. In other words the injury healed 100% all done within 4 weeks, it was the mental scares that lingered. And here dad got sick but he didn’t die until 1998 apparently.
Like I said before if it happened later in here career around 24-28 plus 28-32 she would of shaken of the incident faster.
The point is other athletes have had far bigger injuries, than Seles’s stabbed shoulder 1.5cm deep.
That cut, people have deeper cuts when they are undergoing surgery, than 1.5cm.
Doctors in her medical reports said she would be physically fine in 4 weeks, which she was physically.
But here are some examples of adversity.
Larry Bird back injury was so bad for the last 7even years doctors said to quit or he could be put in a wheelchair, he had to have agonising amounts of physic every day just to play for the last 7evens years of his career. Could hardly walk some days.
Micheal Jordan suffered a shocking foot injury in 1985 he broke it, and missed most of the season about 64 games and came back better, he just worked really hard in the rehab it was agonising. Watched a doco on micheals rehab he just worked and worked.
Tim Horan suffered an awful knee injury in 94, and spent over 1 year in rehab to get back, despite doctors advising he should retire.
And many other athletes have lost parents. Larry Bird was 23 when his dad committed suicide, and all they were a poor family but close and dirt poor, he fought back just rolled his sleeves up and kept going. Larry Bird got in a NBA fight and was held back and punched twice in the face , he just got on with it.
So soem examples of people who had far more physical trauma to deal with, and along with that comes the mental side of things. Maybe Monica Seles was a bit weak mentally, but my point is many of the champions have came back from adversity.
Majic johnson was diagnosed with HIV, 8 months later he had the courage, and motivation and could switch on and play for the dream team in 1992, when he could of just called it quits, and not be put through all the media pressure.
So Monica Seles maybe if she was older i reckon she would of bounced back better,. She was overweight when she came back and never really lost it. Interestingly now she is very slim, post playing.
February 20th 2013 @ 10:22pm
Neuen said | February 20th 2013 @ 10:22pm | Report comment
She went into depression John. I can imagine her father was her closest friend and support and he was ill with cancer which would leave her from being taken care and protected by father to the caretaker role and the psychological effects of the attack had a major effect on her. Scars heal but psychological ones can take years to heal. The only helping hand and protecter was sick from a disease that can be horrible to witness due to the pain and suffering cancer patients go through. So she was alone for first time and she wasn’t really prepared for that. Her dad always protected her when she was younger and she moved to a new country which by itself can be difficult due cause of the culture shock.
Graff had to look after herself since young age so she was more mentally prepared and a bit harder.
But you must also remember girls at 16 is the time when their bodies have the most change and their muscles develop. At that stage they improve the most in their athletic abilities. The swimming is a very good example of it and you will see them improve their personal massively in such periods. Often people or the ill informed would ask questions about banned substances like with the Chinese swimmer.
February 19th 2013 @ 11:14am
Kane said | February 19th 2013 @ 11:14am | Report comment
Andre Agassi was ranked No1 at 33 years 4 months Rogers only 31
February 19th 2013 @ 12:28pm
Cugel said | February 19th 2013 @ 12:28pm | Report comment
Just waiting for Aspirex to come along and delete half the article for not being notable.
February 19th 2013 @ 7:45pm
mastermind5991 said | February 19th 2013 @ 7:45pm | Report comment
UPDATE: In the time period that has occurred since I wrote this article on Saturday, Serena Williams has lost her second match of this season to Victoria Azarenka, in the final of the Doha event.