Graf is the best, and the numbers back this up. The comment "Graf got 22 titles with the aid of no viable rival" is just factually incorrect.
14 of Graf's 22 titles came against current Hall of Famers or future Hall of Famers Martina Hingis and Lindsay Davenport, and 4 of the remaining 8 were against Sabatini and Mary Joe Fernandez (not exactly scrubs in their own right).
Graf won Slams over the stars of 3 different generations by defeating Navratilova & Evert/ Seles & Sanchez-Vicario/ Hingis & Davenport. Simply a brilliant career.
Tennisfan - 12 years ago
Martina Navratilova clearly. Not only did she bring a new level of fitness to the game, but she played singles, doubles and mixed doubles at a high level for three decades. Steffi Graf's records can't be considered without thinking about Monica Seles and what if she had not been stabbed by a crazy fan.
Rocki - 12 years ago
Greatest of all time is subjective. Over tennis time, much has changed and time is not over yet. However, I say Steffi Graf has been the greatest so far. She has won more Slams and more Titles than most of the women on your list, so far. Tennis rackets and strings have changed from the time of wooden racket frames and cat gut strings which many see as an advantage in today's women's tennis. The ladies hit harder than they did in the past and serve bigger which has been a major change in the game. But we have yet to see the end of Women's Tennis so "the GOAT" can not yet be determined. There is much more tennis to be played!
Jim - 12 years ago
Martina Navratilova for a few reasons: 18 Grand Slam titles considering her era involved other top players such as Chris Evert and Steffi Graf, who collectively hold 40 slam titles. Also, Graf got 22 titles with the aid of no viable rival, Sanchez-Viccario was never in her league and rarely pushed her. In fact, Navrativlova was more of a rival than Sanchez-Viccario despite the substantial age difference. Martina also changed the game with her fitness, and retired at 34 ranked 4th in the world, reaching both the Wimbledon and Virginia Slims Women Championships finals that year. Navratilova is the best tennis player in history in my view...not just the best womens player of all time.
Fort foxy - 12 years ago
I am surprised Monica Seles is ranked so low, lest viewers forget how the stabbing by a Graf fan changed her career forever. After that incident, she lost interest in tennis and only returned after efforts by Billie Jean King and others convinced her to return. Graf was losing to Seles most of the time and Seles had taken the no. 1 ranking as well. Seles' play was never the same. I love Steffi Graf but her record should carry an asterisk.
Althea Gibson's name is missing and she was one of the greatest players, who left tennis at her peak due to financial issues, tennis was not a paid sport. She holds 5 singles (2 each (back-to-back) for the U.S. Open and Wimbledon, and the French Open) for what is now grand slams, winning all of them except the Australian Open where she was a finalist. She brought power to the game in the late 1950s.
It is difficult to compare players from different eras due to racket, surface and style changes in the game. I shutter to think how many grand slams either Venus or Serena would have if there was only one of them. Venus would probably have 12.
Graf is the best, and the numbers back this up. The comment "Graf got 22 titles with the aid of no viable rival" is just factually incorrect.
14 of Graf's 22 titles came against current Hall of Famers or future Hall of Famers Martina Hingis and Lindsay Davenport, and 4 of the remaining 8 were against Sabatini and Mary Joe Fernandez (not exactly scrubs in their own right).
Graf won Slams over the stars of 3 different generations by defeating Navratilova & Evert/ Seles & Sanchez-Vicario/ Hingis & Davenport. Simply a brilliant career.
Martina Navratilova clearly. Not only did she bring a new level of fitness to the game, but she played singles, doubles and mixed doubles at a high level for three decades. Steffi Graf's records can't be considered without thinking about Monica Seles and what if she had not been stabbed by a crazy fan.
Greatest of all time is subjective. Over tennis time, much has changed and time is not over yet. However, I say Steffi Graf has been the greatest so far. She has won more Slams and more Titles than most of the women on your list, so far. Tennis rackets and strings have changed from the time of wooden racket frames and cat gut strings which many see as an advantage in today's women's tennis. The ladies hit harder than they did in the past and serve bigger which has been a major change in the game. But we have yet to see the end of Women's Tennis so "the GOAT" can not yet be determined. There is much more tennis to be played!
Martina Navratilova for a few reasons: 18 Grand Slam titles considering her era involved other top players such as Chris Evert and Steffi Graf, who collectively hold 40 slam titles. Also, Graf got 22 titles with the aid of no viable rival, Sanchez-Viccario was never in her league and rarely pushed her. In fact, Navrativlova was more of a rival than Sanchez-Viccario despite the substantial age difference. Martina also changed the game with her fitness, and retired at 34 ranked 4th in the world, reaching both the Wimbledon and Virginia Slims Women Championships finals that year. Navratilova is the best tennis player in history in my view...not just the best womens player of all time.
I am surprised Monica Seles is ranked so low, lest viewers forget how the stabbing by a Graf fan changed her career forever. After that incident, she lost interest in tennis and only returned after efforts by Billie Jean King and others convinced her to return. Graf was losing to Seles most of the time and Seles had taken the no. 1 ranking as well. Seles' play was never the same. I love Steffi Graf but her record should carry an asterisk.
Althea Gibson's name is missing and she was one of the greatest players, who left tennis at her peak due to financial issues, tennis was not a paid sport. She holds 5 singles (2 each (back-to-back) for the U.S. Open and Wimbledon, and the French Open) for what is now grand slams, winning all of them except the Australian Open where she was a finalist. She brought power to the game in the late 1950s.
It is difficult to compare players from different eras due to racket, surface and style changes in the game. I shutter to think how many grand slams either Venus or Serena would have if there was only one of them. Venus would probably have 12.