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2020 Greatest of All Time Sports Draft-Zow wins, Judges still suck (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter timschochet
- Start date
Zegras11
Footballguy
BobbyLayne
Footballguy
give the people what they want!
3. (14 points) Roger Federer
2. (15 points) Rafael Nadal
1. (16 points) Novak Djokovic
There may never be a period like Roger Federer in 2004-2006, statistically three of the ten greatest seasons in 52 years of Open era tennis. He has an astoundingly large pile of records, some of which will stand for decades. By a healthy distance he is the most popular tennis player ever, and his peers consider him to have impeccable demeanor. He is the beau ideal of ambassadorship for his profession. Whether he is the GoAT or merely one of top two or three is almost irrelevant. He has brought so much joy to the world, both diehard tennis heads and casual fans marveling at the effortlessly smooth style resulting in other worldly shots.
Rafael Nadal is the greatest clay court player of all time, by a wide margin, and one of the best all surface players as well. He has dominated Federer H2H. The quality of his majors exceeds the level of competition Federer saw from the 2003 Wimbledon until the 2006 Australian. Like all the Big 3 members his longevity is amazing, but especially for him because of the punishment his aggressive style inflicts on his own body. In the end I couldn’t give him the top spot because he is, by the slimmest of margins, not as good on hardcourt or grass. 12/19 majors and 20/35 Masters 1000 series are on clay. He shouldn’t be penalized for being the best ever on that surface but a specialist (like Sampras’ serve & volley) by definition has relative weaknesses that great all-around players do not.
I think Novak will own every meaningful record: total GS, hardcourt GS, grass GS, total Super 9 ATP Maters 1000 wins, total matches. But even if he doesn’t, he has a huge edge over Federer in the last decade as well as a sizable advantage over Rafa. His 9 years & counting run, when the 4-5-6-7 players were better than some of the #3s/4s Fed/Rafa faced, gives him the edge. His 2011 and 2015 seasons are as good of seasons as has ever been seen.
If you compare Joker’s last 37 majors (2011 Australian through 2020 Australian) with Nadal’s best 37 GS stretch (2005 French through 2014 French - 9 clay court GS in 10 years) and Federer artificial endpoints from the 2003 Wimbledon until the 2012 Wimbledon, you find Djokovic comes out on top.
But there are no losers here; I could just as easily shift the point of emphasis ever so slightly and craft convincing arguments for Nadal or Federer. It’s been such a treat to watch them for the last 17 years.
16. (1 point) Arthur Ashe
15. (2 points) Roy Emerson
14. (3 points) Andy Murray
13. (4 points) Don Budge
12. (5 points) Boris Becker
11. (6 points) Ken Rosewall
10. (7 points) Andre Agassi
9. (8 points) Jimmy Connors
8. (9 points) John McEnroe
7. (10 points) Ivan Lendl
6. (11 points) Björn Borg
5. (12 points) Pete Sampras
4. (13 points) Rod Laver
3. (14 points) Roger Federer
2. (15 points) Rafael Nadal
1. (16 points) Novak Djokovic
Anybody think we should call it a tie and give all 3 15 points?
ETA: The Big 3 by numbers
3. (14 points) Roger Federer
2. (15 points) Rafael Nadal
1. (16 points) Novak Djokovic
There may never be a period like Roger Federer in 2004-2006, statistically three of the ten greatest seasons in 52 years of Open era tennis. He has an astoundingly large pile of records, some of which will stand for decades. By a healthy distance he is the most popular tennis player ever, and his peers consider him to have impeccable demeanor. He is the beau ideal of ambassadorship for his profession. Whether he is the GoAT or merely one of top two or three is almost irrelevant. He has brought so much joy to the world, both diehard tennis heads and casual fans marveling at the effortlessly smooth style resulting in other worldly shots.
Rafael Nadal is the greatest clay court player of all time, by a wide margin, and one of the best all surface players as well. He has dominated Federer H2H. The quality of his majors exceeds the level of competition Federer saw from the 2003 Wimbledon until the 2006 Australian. Like all the Big 3 members his longevity is amazing, but especially for him because of the punishment his aggressive style inflicts on his own body. In the end I couldn’t give him the top spot because he is, by the slimmest of margins, not as good on hardcourt or grass. 12/19 majors and 20/35 Masters 1000 series are on clay. He shouldn’t be penalized for being the best ever on that surface but a specialist (like Sampras’ serve & volley) by definition has relative weaknesses that great all-around players do not.
I think Novak will own every meaningful record: total GS, hardcourt GS, grass GS, total Super 9 ATP Maters 1000 wins, total matches. But even if he doesn’t, he has a huge edge over Federer in the last decade as well as a sizable advantage over Rafa. His 9 years & counting run, when the 4-5-6-7 players were better than some of the #3s/4s Fed/Rafa faced, gives him the edge. His 2011 and 2015 seasons are as good of seasons as has ever been seen.
If you compare Joker’s last 37 majors (2011 Australian through 2020 Australian) with Nadal’s best 37 GS stretch (2005 French through 2014 French - 9 clay court GS in 10 years) and Federer artificial endpoints from the 2003 Wimbledon until the 2012 Wimbledon, you find Djokovic comes out on top.
But there are no losers here; I could just as easily shift the point of emphasis ever so slightly and craft convincing arguments for Nadal or Federer. It’s been such a treat to watch them for the last 17 years.
16. (1 point) Arthur Ashe
15. (2 points) Roy Emerson
14. (3 points) Andy Murray
13. (4 points) Don Budge
12. (5 points) Boris Becker
11. (6 points) Ken Rosewall
10. (7 points) Andre Agassi
9. (8 points) Jimmy Connors
8. (9 points) John McEnroe
7. (10 points) Ivan Lendl
6. (11 points) Björn Borg
5. (12 points) Pete Sampras
4. (13 points) Rod Laver
3. (14 points) Roger Federer
2. (15 points) Rafael Nadal
1. (16 points) Novak Djokovic
Anybody think we should call it a tie and give all 3 15 points?
ETA: The Big 3 by numbers
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BobbyLayne
Footballguy
I apologize for the delay, my intent was to publish that about 36 hours ago.
But like many major metropolitan areas my city has exploded, and it is heartbreaking what I’ve seen. I have been out the last few nights, taking it in, and am distraught for our country.
When home I have been writing a magnum opus which I may never post. A tennis Almanac of the last 20 years which I recognize no one except tennis nerds would want to read. I’ve looked at yearly stats of all the Big Four and viewed scores of match highlights. It’s been a delightful distraction.
But I needed to make a call and move on from the project, which is about 75% complete. I may go back to finish it purely for my own edification, but for now I need to finish the women’s tennis and two golf categories.
I assure you the write ups for those three categories combined will be shorter than what I’ve invested into the men’s tennis rankings. I love both sports and admire the ladies champions nearly as much as the men, but none of them have the compelling narrative of Federer, Nadal and Djokovic.
But like many major metropolitan areas my city has exploded, and it is heartbreaking what I’ve seen. I have been out the last few nights, taking it in, and am distraught for our country.
When home I have been writing a magnum opus which I may never post. A tennis Almanac of the last 20 years which I recognize no one except tennis nerds would want to read. I’ve looked at yearly stats of all the Big Four and viewed scores of match highlights. It’s been a delightful distraction.
But I needed to make a call and move on from the project, which is about 75% complete. I may go back to finish it purely for my own edification, but for now I need to finish the women’s tennis and two golf categories.
I assure you the write ups for those three categories combined will be shorter than what I’ve invested into the men’s tennis rankings. I love both sports and admire the ladies champions nearly as much as the men, but none of them have the compelling narrative of Federer, Nadal and Djokovic.
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higgins
Footballguy
My remaining picks....
Thanks!
- NFL RB -- Thurman Thomas
- NFL DL -- Chris Doleman (#5 sacks all-time!)
- NHL Goalie -- Grant Fuhr
- Women skater -- Janet Lynn
- Men's Golfer -- Nick Faldo
- Men skater -- Toller Cranston
- Gymnast -- Yelena Shushunova
- NHL Hockey Team -- 1929/1930 Boston Bruins
Thanks!
Zegras11
Footballguy
Standings after BobbyLayne ranked Men's Tennis -
1 --AAABatteries--159
2 --Ilov80s--139
3 --higgins--138
4 --Gally--136
5 --timschochet--136
6 --Zow--132
7 --jwb--131
8 --otb_lifer--130
9 --tuffnutt--130
10 -Jagov--126
11 -joffer--124
12 -Getzlaf15--122
13 -Long Ball Larry--111
14 -DougB--111
15 -Kal El--109
16 -wikkidpissah--106
1 --AAABatteries--159
2 --Ilov80s--139
3 --higgins--138
4 --Gally--136
5 --timschochet--136
6 --Zow--132
7 --jwb--131
8 --otb_lifer--130
9 --tuffnutt--130
10 -Jagov--126
11 -joffer--124
12 -Getzlaf15--122
13 -Long Ball Larry--111
14 -DougB--111
15 -Kal El--109
16 -wikkidpissah--106
Jagov
Footballguy
BobbyLayne
Footballguy
Thanks.
I started out thinking I would probably rank Fed #1, on the basis he’s still ahead in titles & majors. They’ve each had a couple amazing season, each finished #1 five times, they’ve each beaten the other in GS finals.
But as I dug deeper I realized I was letting my bias influence that thinking. As amazing as Roger has been, a good chunk of his early success was before Nadal matured into an even better all around player than when he came out (& he was pretty amazing age 17-19.) H2H, even completely discounting the clay court dominance, he was better. He was in Roger’s head and Federer almost had a mental block for awhile.
Having more or less settled that one argument, I began looking at Joker versus the other two. Took him 5 years to up his game - and he was pretty good even before that - but what he’s done in the last 9-1/2 years exceeds what the other two did, and he had deeper competition. H2H there have been great rivalries amongst all of the Big Four; but Novak has owned them all. He’s not slowing down, either.
Fed might be completely out of gas soon, with Rafa it’s a constant battle to keep his knees healthy. But Djokovic is a freight train who will blow by them if everyone stays healthy. Even if he doesn’t, he’s still the greatest even if he’s still a few short at the moment in the hardware department.
BobbyLayne
Footballguy
I don’t have regrets about Emerson, but I wonder if I should have ranked Murray a little bit higher. He’s basically a slightly better version of Novak 2006-2010. But he was rarely able to life his game higher to be on their plane. Good player, at times great, but mentally not as strong as the Big 3.
The bottom 6 were hard to rank. I would say, immodestly, the middle 7 were spot on. I really dug deep and made sure my own views were within tolerance of consensus.
But with Big 3, it got to a point where the more I looked at tape and studied statistics - and truth be told, I was spending an equal amount of time on Andy even though he was already ranked - the more I felt there was no obvious choice. Basing it mostly on majors and dominant seasons would have given it to Federer. But it was weak sauce, the H2H and the last decade said otherwise. That’s when I decided to use H2H and the arbitrary “best 37 GS stretch” argument to give it Djokovic.
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Great job on it all (even Emerson....although I will never let it go). I know very little about the sport's history and haven't really watched any tennis since the McEnroe heyday. It seems a lot more robotic now with a lot less personality. That might have been skewed from the Sampras days as there really wasn't much excitement there and then I just went away from it. It was a pleasure reading all the information and a great benefit for participating in this draft.
AAABatteries
Footballguy
I only wish that Federer's prime overlapped a little more with the other two. It may have made him a definitive 3rd or maybe a definitive 1st - not sure. But it would have been amazing to see. It's been pretty amazing as it is.
I can't fault BL - I think Federer is the best player I ever saw but the H2H does speak for itself to a degree. I will say that with Federer I'm biased, he's been just too much fun to watch for so many years. The other two are entertaining as well but something about Federer's game speaks to me.
I can't fault BL - I think Federer is the best player I ever saw but the H2H does speak for itself to a degree. I will say that with Federer I'm biased, he's been just too much fun to watch for so many years. The other two are entertaining as well but something about Federer's game speaks to me.
At the quarter pole AAABatteries is out to a commanding lead. Can he continue his way into the Gardner's Circle or can a dark horse come out of nowhere. Only time will tell....
For me I have one that returned zero value (Emerson with 2 pts as the 15th player taken) and two negative values (Shaq at -1) and Caulkins at -5 (even though she returned 9 pts). My perceived big hitters are still out there for the judging so hopefully I have an outside chance of making my way into the Garden of AAA Batteries......
Zegras11
Footballguy
BobbyLayne
Footballguy
I’m a massive Roger fanatic. You have no idea how painful this was for me.
I have attended the last 20 US Opens and there is nothing better than watching Fed at an Arthur Ashe night match. He’s an artist. I’ve seen him dig out running forehand cross court shots that cause a physiological reaction. Like you don’t have any choice but to jump up & scream because what you just witnessed was insane.
It’s also really awesome he is a truly gracious person.
I feel as though there's a "that's what she said" joke here, but for the life of me, I can't find it.
Long Ball Larry
Footballguy
BobbyLayne
Footballguy
Me too
#thatswhatshesaid
Reviewing contemporaneous articles about rhe 2009 Australian Open Mens Final, and rewatching it on tape, heavily influenced my thinking.
With defeats on clay, grass and hardcourt over his biggest rival over a 7-1/2 month span, Rafa conquered Fed. He had beaten 4 years running at the French (‘05-‘08, 3 straight Finals), took him down at ‘08 Wimbledon - Roger was the 5x defending champ, Rafa runner up ‘06-‘07 - but never on hardcourt.
It was the one thing Federer fans could cling to, the 8-0 hardcourt finals record. Rafa was the king of clay. Roger was 7-0 in GS finals until Rafa beat him at the ‘06 French. He was 5-0 at Centre Court until Nadal won the epic 5-setter Wimbledon ‘08. Rafael won the Gold Medal in Beijing and finished the year #1.
Roger TWICE had a chance to complete the GS by winning his 4th straight major, and both times (‘07-‘08 French) Rafael denied him. He had a chance to break Borg’s record of 5 straight Wimbledon titles but Nadal stopped him. Now Federer needed only one more GS to tie Sampras at 14, and one more Australian Open wins to tie Agassi for the most in the Open era.
Rafa had beaten Fed on hardcourt in their first meeting when he was 17 (nationally televised NASDAQ-100 Miami Masters), but zero finals at Melbourne or Flushing Meadow, and most of his early wins H2H had been on clay. “He’s not a complete player” Federer fans would argue. “How can he be the G.O.A.T. when he’s not even the best player right now?” Nadal fans would counter.
After the 2009 Australian, there would more grand slams for Roger, many more titles, he would yet again ascend to #1. Both he and Nadal would develop a storied rivalry with Djokovic. But between Fed and Rafa, the issue was settled in the middle of a steamy January summer night in Melbourne. All that remained was whether Rafa’s body would hold up under his own intensity.
This match would prove hugely significant for Nadal for two other reasons: this was his only Australian Open, though he would reach 3 more finals. It completed the career GS, at the 22 the youngest ever. With his Olympic Gold 5 months earlier, he had reached every mountaintop. It extended a GS finals streak over Roger which would last 8 more years ( in all, 3 French + 1 Australian.) The series now stood 13-4 in his favor, 11-4 in all finals, 5-2 in GS finals.
In the remainder of their career, Rafa led 11-10, 3-5 in all Finals, 4-2 in GS matches, 1-1 in GS Finals. Nadal has a 5-match win streak 2013, Roger won 6 straight 2015-19. But with the ascension of Djokovic and to a lesser extent Murray, these were of diminished importance, no longer the battle of the heavyweights. When it mattered most, when their respective legacies were on the line, Fed had what Wilander termed “a mental block. He didn’t believe at some level he could beat Nadal.”
_____________________
That was 1/2 of the argument for me; they are close enough in accumulated hardware (Roger had a 5-year head start), but the H2H edge Gabe to Rafa. Still to be decided was how their legacies stood up against Djokovic.
Of the 37 GS Finals 2011-2020, Joker played in 23. He beat everyone except Wawrinka (0-2): Federer (4-0), Nadal (4-3), Murray (5-2), others (3-0.) 16-7 in GS finals, with almost half coming against other Big Three players. 17-9 overall. He was 1-2 in GS finals in the Big Two era; 0-1 at the US Open to both Rafa & Fed, 1-0 VS Tsonga at the Australian. In the Big 3 era: 7-0 AO/1-3 RG/5-1 W/3-3 USO
Nadal went 9-2 in GS Finals the Big Two era (2005-2010), and 10-6 in the Big Three era (2011-2020.) 19-8 overall. His best comparable stretch to Joker using artificial end points is from the 2005 French through the 2014 French, 14-6 over a 37 GS timeline. 1-2 AO/9-0 RG/2-3 W/2-1 USO
Federer went 4-0 in GS Finals in the Roger era, 11-6 in the Big Two era (2005-2010), 5-5 in the Big Three era (2011-2020.) 20-11 overall. His best comparable stretch to Joker using artificial end points is from the 2003 Wimbledon through the 2012 Wimbledon, 17-7 over a 37 GS timeline (includes streaks of 10 & 8 consecutive finals.) 4-1 AO/1-4 RG/7-1 W/5-1 USO
Djokovic VS Murray 4-3 (2006-2010) 21-8 (2011-2020)
Djokovic VS Nadal 7-16 (2006-2010) 21-11 (2011-2020)
Djokovic VS Federer 5-13 (2006-2010) 22-10 (2011-2020)
With defeats on clay, grass and hardcourt over his biggest rival over a 7-1/2 month span, Rafa conquered Fed. He had beaten 4 years running at the French (‘05-‘08, 3 straight Finals), took him down at ‘08 Wimbledon - Roger was the 5x defending champ, Rafa runner up ‘06-‘07 - but never on hardcourt.
It was the one thing Federer fans could cling to, the 8-0 hardcourt finals record. Rafa was the king of clay. Roger was 7-0 in GS finals until Rafa beat him at the ‘06 French. He was 5-0 at Centre Court until Nadal won the epic 5-setter Wimbledon ‘08. Rafael won the Gold Medal in Beijing and finished the year #1.
Roger TWICE had a chance to complete the GS by winning his 4th straight major, and both times (‘07-‘08 French) Rafael denied him. He had a chance to break Borg’s record of 5 straight Wimbledon titles but Nadal stopped him. Now Federer needed only one more GS to tie Sampras at 14, and one more Australian Open wins to tie Agassi for the most in the Open era.
Rafa had beaten Fed on hardcourt in their first meeting when he was 17 (nationally televised NASDAQ-100 Miami Masters), but zero finals at Melbourne or Flushing Meadow, and most of his early wins H2H had been on clay. “He’s not a complete player” Federer fans would argue. “How can he be the G.O.A.T. when he’s not even the best player right now?” Nadal fans would counter.
After the 2009 Australian, there would more grand slams for Roger, many more titles, he would yet again ascend to #1. Both he and Nadal would develop a storied rivalry with Djokovic. But between Fed and Rafa, the issue was settled in the middle of a steamy January summer night in Melbourne. All that remained was whether Rafa’s body would hold up under his own intensity.
This match would prove hugely significant for Nadal for two other reasons: this was his only Australian Open, though he would reach 3 more finals. It completed the career GS, at the 22 the youngest ever. With his Olympic Gold 5 months earlier, he had reached every mountaintop. It extended a GS finals streak over Roger which would last 8 more years ( in all, 3 French + 1 Australian.) The series now stood 13-4 in his favor, 11-4 in all finals, 5-2 in GS finals.
In the remainder of their career, Rafa led 11-10, 3-5 in all Finals, 4-2 in GS matches, 1-1 in GS Finals. Nadal has a 5-match win streak 2013, Roger won 6 straight 2015-19. But with the ascension of Djokovic and to a lesser extent Murray, these were of diminished importance, no longer the battle of the heavyweights. When it mattered most, when their respective legacies were on the line, Fed had what Wilander termed “a mental block. He didn’t believe at some level he could beat Nadal.”
_____________________
That was 1/2 of the argument for me; they are close enough in accumulated hardware (Roger had a 5-year head start), but the H2H edge Gabe to Rafa. Still to be decided was how their legacies stood up against Djokovic.
Of the 37 GS Finals 2011-2020, Joker played in 23. He beat everyone except Wawrinka (0-2): Federer (4-0), Nadal (4-3), Murray (5-2), others (3-0.) 16-7 in GS finals, with almost half coming against other Big Three players. 17-9 overall. He was 1-2 in GS finals in the Big Two era; 0-1 at the US Open to both Rafa & Fed, 1-0 VS Tsonga at the Australian. In the Big 3 era: 7-0 AO/1-3 RG/5-1 W/3-3 USO
Nadal went 9-2 in GS Finals the Big Two era (2005-2010), and 10-6 in the Big Three era (2011-2020.) 19-8 overall. His best comparable stretch to Joker using artificial end points is from the 2005 French through the 2014 French, 14-6 over a 37 GS timeline. 1-2 AO/9-0 RG/2-3 W/2-1 USO
Federer went 4-0 in GS Finals in the Roger era, 11-6 in the Big Two era (2005-2010), 5-5 in the Big Three era (2011-2020.) 20-11 overall. His best comparable stretch to Joker using artificial end points is from the 2003 Wimbledon through the 2012 Wimbledon, 17-7 over a 37 GS timeline (includes streaks of 10 & 8 consecutive finals.) 4-1 AO/1-4 RG/7-1 W/5-1 USO
Djokovic VS Murray 4-3 (2006-2010) 21-8 (2011-2020)
Djokovic VS Nadal 7-16 (2006-2010) 21-11 (2011-2020)
Djokovic VS Federer 5-13 (2006-2010) 22-10 (2011-2020)
wikkidpissah
Footballguy
Zegras11
Footballguy
wikkidpissah
Footballguy
AAABatteries
Footballguy
Seems unlikely I stay at the top - I've had a couple negative values already and several of my top picks have been judged.Gally said:
Zow
Footballguy
Jagov
Footballguy
JUDGING ANNOUNCEMENT - GREATEST FEMALE TRACK & FIELD ATHLETE (58)
--- Preamble to Rankings ---
I had little background knowledge on this category when I started. I am the guy who changes the channel as soon as female athletics comes on TV. I’d really rather watch paint dry. So … to best fulfill my judging obligations here, I took a step back, asked myself what these ladies were actually doing, watched a lot of video’s, read TONS of stuff and did relevant research / data collection.
During that all, it became clear that sprinters get the large majority of the spot light. Does this have to do with our span of attention? The adrenaline rush? Is fast really more important than far or high? Something else? I don’t know. What I do know is that this is the Greatest Female Track & Field Athlete competition. Not the Greatest Female Sprinter or Greatest Female Jumper competition.
For me, the ideal GOAT in this category is someone who does many different things, does them at many competitions, does them at a high level, wins a lot and does it for a long period. I did my best to incorporate this concept into my rankings. The closer that the athlete was to my ideal GOAT, the higher they were likely to score in the rankings.
Gals who did multiple things well gained an advantage. Gals who competed a lot gained an advantage. Gals who won a lot gained an advantage. Gals who showed dedication over a long period of time gained an advantage. Doping stuff usually resulted in a bump downwards.
As with the previous category, when I started this, I quickly grabbed all of the names from the sheet, sorted them alphabetically and started from there. The place in which they were selected and the drafter who selected them did NOT factor into my evaluation. When my ranking were done, I did cross reference them with the slot in which they were selected. There are some deviations and some of you may soon be reaching for pitch forks. To which I say … Come at me bro!!
Write ups in progress … Results coming soon ...
--- Preamble to Rankings ---
I had little background knowledge on this category when I started. I am the guy who changes the channel as soon as female athletics comes on TV. I’d really rather watch paint dry. So … to best fulfill my judging obligations here, I took a step back, asked myself what these ladies were actually doing, watched a lot of video’s, read TONS of stuff and did relevant research / data collection.
During that all, it became clear that sprinters get the large majority of the spot light. Does this have to do with our span of attention? The adrenaline rush? Is fast really more important than far or high? Something else? I don’t know. What I do know is that this is the Greatest Female Track & Field Athlete competition. Not the Greatest Female Sprinter or Greatest Female Jumper competition.
For me, the ideal GOAT in this category is someone who does many different things, does them at many competitions, does them at a high level, wins a lot and does it for a long period. I did my best to incorporate this concept into my rankings. The closer that the athlete was to my ideal GOAT, the higher they were likely to score in the rankings.
Gals who did multiple things well gained an advantage. Gals who competed a lot gained an advantage. Gals who won a lot gained an advantage. Gals who showed dedication over a long period of time gained an advantage. Doping stuff usually resulted in a bump downwards.
As with the previous category, when I started this, I quickly grabbed all of the names from the sheet, sorted them alphabetically and started from there. The place in which they were selected and the drafter who selected them did NOT factor into my evaluation. When my ranking were done, I did cross reference them with the slot in which they were selected. There are some deviations and some of you may soon be reaching for pitch forks. To which I say … Come at me bro!!
Write ups in progress … Results coming soon ...
After yesterday I was all excited when there was a new post and knowing @Jagov is over in the Netherlands I was ready for the rankings (especially since my entrant could be anywhere in the rankings - although I think she should be top 5-8-ish). Instead it was a tease. I well thought out and informed tease.....but a tease nonetheless.....and a tease that gave me hope to a nice ranking...………....hahahah
Long Ball Larry
Footballguy
BobbyLayne
Footballguy
Category 54.
Greatest Women’s Tennis Player
Tier 5
“Well that’s an interesting pick”
16. (1 point) Anna Kournikova
0 Grand Slams
209–129 (61.8%) match record.
0 WTA Singles titles
5’8”
3 WTA Tier 1 runner up finishes. As a junior she 2 ITF Singles titles (both at age 14.) Successful Doubles player.
She signed a management deal at age ten and went to Bradenton, Florida, to train at Nick Bollettieri's celebrated tennis academy. In 1995 she was the youngest ever winner of the prestigious Junior Orange Bowl, at year end crowned the ITF Junior World Champion U-18.
As a pro, at 15 she made her Grand Slam debut at the US Open, reaching the 4th round before losing to #1 Graf. 1996 WTA Newcomer of the Year. At the 1997 Wimbledon Championships, Kournikova became only the second woman in the open era to reach the semi-finals in her Wimbledon debut, the first being Chris Evert in 1972. There she lost to eventual champion Hingis.
Broke into the top 20 in 1998, when she began a streak of reaching the 4th round of a GS which extended two years (6 tournaments.) At the 2001 Australian Open she was a quarterfinalist, a career best. Highest ranking in Singles was #8. Career GS Singles record 41-20 (67.2%.)
Had greater success as a Doubles partner with Hingis, winning 16 WTA titles, 2 Australian Opens, and a runner up finish at French Open. #1 ranked women’s team in 1999. Career match record 200-71 (73.8%.)
Players who should have been drafted but were not: Suzanne Lenglen, Molla Mallory, Doris Hart.
The Texas hold 'em opening hand of Ace-King off suit is sometimes referred to as an Anna Kournikova - both for the initials on the cards and because the hand supposedly looks good, but does not win much.
A 2001 computer virus named Anna Kournikova was designed to trick email users into opening a mail message purportedly containing a picture of the tennis player of the same name, while actually hiding a malicious program. It launched a viral VBScriptprogram that forwards itself to everybody in the Microsoft Outlook address book of the victim. It was a nearly daily occurrence at our tech company for weeks.
At the peak of her fame, fans looking for images of Kournikova made her name one of the most common search strings on Google Search.
Pretty girl.
_______________________________
15. (2 points) Maria Sharapova
5 Grand Slams
645–171 (79.0%)
36 Singles titles
#1 5 separate occasions, total of 21 weeks
6’2”
Maria Sharapova became an international icon by winning her first Wimbledon title at age 17 in 2004, beating Serena in the Final. Overnight, she was gracing fashion magazine covers and starring in television commercials around the world. But she was more than just marketing hype. She was a great player, reaching 10 GS Finals, winning half of them. In 2012 her French Open title completes her career Grand Slam.
2003 WTA Newcomer of the Year
2004 WTA Player of the Year
Beginning in 2005 she had a 10 GS stretch in which she made 6 Semis and 2 Finals, winning the 2006 US Open. Added the Australian in 2008. Her play fell off over the next 3-4 seasons, but she won the French in 2012 & 2014.
Another Bolliteri/IMG alum (Agassi & Seles before her.) Enormously popular with fans. Solid player.
_______________________________
14. (3 points) Althea Gibson
5 Grand Slams
53-9 (85.4%) record in 14 GS
5’11”
What Arthur Ashe did for African-American men in tennis, Althea Gibson accomplished for African-American women. Playing in the 1950s, when segregation was still the law of the land in America, Gibson became the first black woman to win Grand Slam titles. Without a doubt, her struggles and success paved a path to be followed by others.
Until Evonne Goolagong, who was from an Australian Aboriginal family, won the French Open and Wimbledon Ladies Singles Championship in 1971, Gibson held the distinction of being the only woman of color to win a major championship for 15 years. It took 43 years, when Serena Williams won the 1999 US Open, for another African-American female to win a major singles title.
She won her first of ten straight national ATA women's titles in 1947. In segregated America, he ATA was the response to the USTA prohibition against black players in their tournaments. They often partnered with HBUCs (Gibson is graduate of Florida A&M.) Despite her growing reputation as an elite-level player, Gibson was effectively barred from entering the premier American tournament, the United States National Championships (now the US Open) at Forest Hills. Most USTA events were held at white-only clubs.
In 1950, in response to intense lobbying by ATA officials and retired champion Alice Marble—who published a scathing open letter in the magazine American Lawn Tennis—Gibson became the first Black player to receive an invitation to the Nationals, where she made her Forest Hills debut on her 23rd birthday. Although she lost narrowly in the second round in a rain-delayed, three-set match to Louise Brough, the reigning Wimbledon champion and former US National winner, her participation received extensive national and international coverage. "No Negro player, man or woman, has ever set foot on one of these courts," wrote journalist Lester Rodney at the time. "In many ways, it is even a tougher personal Jim Crow-busting assignment than was Jackie Robinson's when he first stepped out of the Brooklyn Dodgers dugout."
The State Department sent her on a goodwill tour of Asia in 1955 to play exhibition matches. Many Asians in the countries they visited—Burma, Ceylon, India, Pakistan, and Thailand—"...felt an affinity to Althea as a woman of color and were delighted to see her as part of an official US delegation. With the United States grappling over the question of race, they turned to Althea for answers, or at least to get a firsthand perspective." Gibson, for her part, strengthened her confidence immeasurably during the six-week tour. When it was over, she remained abroad, winning 16 of 18 tournaments in Europe and Asia against many of the world's best players.
Played 7 GS Finals:
1956 French Open champion
1956 US Open runner up
1957 Australian runner up
1957 Wimbledon champion
1957 US Nationals champion
1958 Wimbledon champion
1958 US Nationals champion
After her first Wimbledon title, she became the first player to receive the trophy directly from the Queen (Elizabeth II.) Back in NYC, she was welcomed home with a ticker tape parade on Broadway, the first black athlete so honored since Jessie Owens in 1936.AP Female Athlete of the Year 1957 and again in 1958. She also became the first Black woman to appear on the covers of Sports Illustrated and Time.
In late 1958, having won 56 national and international singles and doubles titles, Gibson retired from amateur tennis. Prior to the Open Era there was no prize money at major tournaments, and direct endorsement deals were prohibited. Players were limited to meager expense allowances, strictly regulated by the USTA.
"The truth, to put it bluntly, is that my finances were in heartbreaking shape," she wrote. "Being the Queen of Tennis is all well and good, but you can't eat a crown. Nor can you send the Internal Revenue Service a throne clipped to their tax forms. The landlord and grocer and tax collector are funny that way: they like cold cash ... I reign over an empty bank account, and I'm not going to fill it by playing amateur tennis." Professional tours for women were still 15 years away, so her opportunities were largely limited to promotional events.
With her pro tennis career going nowhere, Gibson played on the LPGA in the 1960s. Racial discrimination continued to be a problem: Many hotels still excluded people of color, and country club officials throughout the south—and some in the north—routinely refused to allow her to compete. When she did compete, she was often forced to dress for tournaments in her car because she was banned from the clubhouse.
She was Top 50 1964-68 as the first black professional golfer. "Althea might have been a real player of consequence had she started when she was young," said Judy Rankin. "She came along during a difficult time in golf, gained the support of a lot of people, and quietly made a difference."
At age 48 in 1976 Gibson made it to the finals of the ABC television program Superstars, finishing first in basketball shooting and bowling, and runner-up in softball throwing.
I was at Opening Night at the 2007 US Open, when she was inducted into the US Open Court of Champions.; it was the 50th Anniversary of her first US Nationals title. Last fall they unveiled a statue of her on the grounds of the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center at Flushing Meadows. She is second player to be honored with a monument; the first was Arthur Ashe.
"Her road to success was a challenging one," said Billie Jean King, "but I never saw her back down." "To anyone, she was an inspiration, because of what she was able to do at a time when it was enormously difficult to play tennis at all if you were Black," said former New York City Mayor David Dinkins. "I am honored to have followed in such great footsteps," wrote Venus Williams. "Her accomplishments set the stage for my success, and through players like myself and Serena and many others to come, her legacy will live on."
The loser is always a part of the problem; the winner is always a part of the answer. The loser always has an excuse; the winner always has a program. The loser says it may be possible, but it's difficult; the winner says it may be difficult, but it's possible.
—Althea Gibson, 1991
_______________________________
13. (4 points) Helen Wills Moody-Roark
19 Grand Slams in 22 Finals appearances
126-3 (97.7%) GS match record 1922-38
398–35 (91.9%) match record 1919-38
won 180 consecutive matches, 158 in straight sets
5’7”
Helen Wills was the undisputed greatest player of her era. She went to any lengths to make sure she stayed at the top, including practicing with men when that was frowned upon by the tennis establishment.
But she was not content to only practice against men. In 1933, Wills won a "Battle of the Sexes" exhibition match, decades before Billie Jean King. She beat the #8 men’s player, Ken Neer (6-3, 6-4.)
Her record of eight wins at Wimbledon was not surpassed until 1990 (Navratilova.) She was said to be "arguably the most dominant tennis player of the 20th century", and has been called by some (including Jack Kramer& Don Budge) the greatest female player in history.
A Phi Beta Kappa graduate of Cal-Berkeley, Wills was the first American woman athlete to become a global celebrity, making friends with royalty and film stars despite her preference for staying out of the limelight. She was admired for her graceful physique and for her fluid motion. She was part of a new tennis fashion, playing in knee-length pleated skirts rather than the longer ones of her predecessors. Grantland Rice, the famed American sportswriter, bestowed on Wills the nickname "Little Miss Poker Face".
She she won her first US Nationals in 1923 at age 17. The Gold Medalist at the 1924 Olympic Games in Paris, she would win 4 French Opens and 7 US Nationals in her first 7 attempts. Excluding two defaults in 1926 (emergency appendectomy) she reached the Finals of every Grand Slam she entered.
Wills was ranked in the world top ten from 1922 through 1925, 1927 through 1933, and in 1935 and 1938. She was World No. 1 in those rankings nine times, from 1927 through 1933 and in 1935 and 1938.
Many consider Suzanne Lenglen a better player but Wills was the GS record holder until Court passed her in 1970.
"She hit the ball harder than most, except maybe Steffi Graf,” said Don Budge. “Her footwork didn't have to be great. She would control the play because she hit the ball so hard."
Greatest Women’s Tennis Player
Tier 5
“Well that’s an interesting pick”
16. (1 point) Anna Kournikova
0 Grand Slams
209–129 (61.8%) match record.
0 WTA Singles titles
5’8”
3 WTA Tier 1 runner up finishes. As a junior she 2 ITF Singles titles (both at age 14.) Successful Doubles player.
She signed a management deal at age ten and went to Bradenton, Florida, to train at Nick Bollettieri's celebrated tennis academy. In 1995 she was the youngest ever winner of the prestigious Junior Orange Bowl, at year end crowned the ITF Junior World Champion U-18.
As a pro, at 15 she made her Grand Slam debut at the US Open, reaching the 4th round before losing to #1 Graf. 1996 WTA Newcomer of the Year. At the 1997 Wimbledon Championships, Kournikova became only the second woman in the open era to reach the semi-finals in her Wimbledon debut, the first being Chris Evert in 1972. There she lost to eventual champion Hingis.
Broke into the top 20 in 1998, when she began a streak of reaching the 4th round of a GS which extended two years (6 tournaments.) At the 2001 Australian Open she was a quarterfinalist, a career best. Highest ranking in Singles was #8. Career GS Singles record 41-20 (67.2%.)
Had greater success as a Doubles partner with Hingis, winning 16 WTA titles, 2 Australian Opens, and a runner up finish at French Open. #1 ranked women’s team in 1999. Career match record 200-71 (73.8%.)
Players who should have been drafted but were not: Suzanne Lenglen, Molla Mallory, Doris Hart.
The Texas hold 'em opening hand of Ace-King off suit is sometimes referred to as an Anna Kournikova - both for the initials on the cards and because the hand supposedly looks good, but does not win much.
A 2001 computer virus named Anna Kournikova was designed to trick email users into opening a mail message purportedly containing a picture of the tennis player of the same name, while actually hiding a malicious program. It launched a viral VBScriptprogram that forwards itself to everybody in the Microsoft Outlook address book of the victim. It was a nearly daily occurrence at our tech company for weeks.
At the peak of her fame, fans looking for images of Kournikova made her name one of the most common search strings on Google Search.
Pretty girl.
_______________________________
15. (2 points) Maria Sharapova
5 Grand Slams
645–171 (79.0%)
36 Singles titles
#1 5 separate occasions, total of 21 weeks
6’2”
Maria Sharapova became an international icon by winning her first Wimbledon title at age 17 in 2004, beating Serena in the Final. Overnight, she was gracing fashion magazine covers and starring in television commercials around the world. But she was more than just marketing hype. She was a great player, reaching 10 GS Finals, winning half of them. In 2012 her French Open title completes her career Grand Slam.
2003 WTA Newcomer of the Year
2004 WTA Player of the Year
Beginning in 2005 she had a 10 GS stretch in which she made 6 Semis and 2 Finals, winning the 2006 US Open. Added the Australian in 2008. Her play fell off over the next 3-4 seasons, but she won the French in 2012 & 2014.
Another Bolliteri/IMG alum (Agassi & Seles before her.) Enormously popular with fans. Solid player.
_______________________________
14. (3 points) Althea Gibson
5 Grand Slams
53-9 (85.4%) record in 14 GS
5’11”
What Arthur Ashe did for African-American men in tennis, Althea Gibson accomplished for African-American women. Playing in the 1950s, when segregation was still the law of the land in America, Gibson became the first black woman to win Grand Slam titles. Without a doubt, her struggles and success paved a path to be followed by others.
Until Evonne Goolagong, who was from an Australian Aboriginal family, won the French Open and Wimbledon Ladies Singles Championship in 1971, Gibson held the distinction of being the only woman of color to win a major championship for 15 years. It took 43 years, when Serena Williams won the 1999 US Open, for another African-American female to win a major singles title.
She won her first of ten straight national ATA women's titles in 1947. In segregated America, he ATA was the response to the USTA prohibition against black players in their tournaments. They often partnered with HBUCs (Gibson is graduate of Florida A&M.) Despite her growing reputation as an elite-level player, Gibson was effectively barred from entering the premier American tournament, the United States National Championships (now the US Open) at Forest Hills. Most USTA events were held at white-only clubs.
In 1950, in response to intense lobbying by ATA officials and retired champion Alice Marble—who published a scathing open letter in the magazine American Lawn Tennis—Gibson became the first Black player to receive an invitation to the Nationals, where she made her Forest Hills debut on her 23rd birthday. Although she lost narrowly in the second round in a rain-delayed, three-set match to Louise Brough, the reigning Wimbledon champion and former US National winner, her participation received extensive national and international coverage. "No Negro player, man or woman, has ever set foot on one of these courts," wrote journalist Lester Rodney at the time. "In many ways, it is even a tougher personal Jim Crow-busting assignment than was Jackie Robinson's when he first stepped out of the Brooklyn Dodgers dugout."
The State Department sent her on a goodwill tour of Asia in 1955 to play exhibition matches. Many Asians in the countries they visited—Burma, Ceylon, India, Pakistan, and Thailand—"...felt an affinity to Althea as a woman of color and were delighted to see her as part of an official US delegation. With the United States grappling over the question of race, they turned to Althea for answers, or at least to get a firsthand perspective." Gibson, for her part, strengthened her confidence immeasurably during the six-week tour. When it was over, she remained abroad, winning 16 of 18 tournaments in Europe and Asia against many of the world's best players.
Played 7 GS Finals:
1956 French Open champion
1956 US Open runner up
1957 Australian runner up
1957 Wimbledon champion
1957 US Nationals champion
1958 Wimbledon champion
1958 US Nationals champion
After her first Wimbledon title, she became the first player to receive the trophy directly from the Queen (Elizabeth II.) Back in NYC, she was welcomed home with a ticker tape parade on Broadway, the first black athlete so honored since Jessie Owens in 1936.AP Female Athlete of the Year 1957 and again in 1958. She also became the first Black woman to appear on the covers of Sports Illustrated and Time.
In late 1958, having won 56 national and international singles and doubles titles, Gibson retired from amateur tennis. Prior to the Open Era there was no prize money at major tournaments, and direct endorsement deals were prohibited. Players were limited to meager expense allowances, strictly regulated by the USTA.
"The truth, to put it bluntly, is that my finances were in heartbreaking shape," she wrote. "Being the Queen of Tennis is all well and good, but you can't eat a crown. Nor can you send the Internal Revenue Service a throne clipped to their tax forms. The landlord and grocer and tax collector are funny that way: they like cold cash ... I reign over an empty bank account, and I'm not going to fill it by playing amateur tennis." Professional tours for women were still 15 years away, so her opportunities were largely limited to promotional events.
With her pro tennis career going nowhere, Gibson played on the LPGA in the 1960s. Racial discrimination continued to be a problem: Many hotels still excluded people of color, and country club officials throughout the south—and some in the north—routinely refused to allow her to compete. When she did compete, she was often forced to dress for tournaments in her car because she was banned from the clubhouse.
She was Top 50 1964-68 as the first black professional golfer. "Althea might have been a real player of consequence had she started when she was young," said Judy Rankin. "She came along during a difficult time in golf, gained the support of a lot of people, and quietly made a difference."
At age 48 in 1976 Gibson made it to the finals of the ABC television program Superstars, finishing first in basketball shooting and bowling, and runner-up in softball throwing.
I was at Opening Night at the 2007 US Open, when she was inducted into the US Open Court of Champions.; it was the 50th Anniversary of her first US Nationals title. Last fall they unveiled a statue of her on the grounds of the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center at Flushing Meadows. She is second player to be honored with a monument; the first was Arthur Ashe.
"Her road to success was a challenging one," said Billie Jean King, "but I never saw her back down." "To anyone, she was an inspiration, because of what she was able to do at a time when it was enormously difficult to play tennis at all if you were Black," said former New York City Mayor David Dinkins. "I am honored to have followed in such great footsteps," wrote Venus Williams. "Her accomplishments set the stage for my success, and through players like myself and Serena and many others to come, her legacy will live on."
The loser is always a part of the problem; the winner is always a part of the answer. The loser always has an excuse; the winner always has a program. The loser says it may be possible, but it's difficult; the winner says it may be difficult, but it's possible.
—Althea Gibson, 1991
_______________________________
13. (4 points) Helen Wills Moody-Roark
19 Grand Slams in 22 Finals appearances
126-3 (97.7%) GS match record 1922-38
398–35 (91.9%) match record 1919-38
won 180 consecutive matches, 158 in straight sets
5’7”
Helen Wills was the undisputed greatest player of her era. She went to any lengths to make sure she stayed at the top, including practicing with men when that was frowned upon by the tennis establishment.
But she was not content to only practice against men. In 1933, Wills won a "Battle of the Sexes" exhibition match, decades before Billie Jean King. She beat the #8 men’s player, Ken Neer (6-3, 6-4.)
Her record of eight wins at Wimbledon was not surpassed until 1990 (Navratilova.) She was said to be "arguably the most dominant tennis player of the 20th century", and has been called by some (including Jack Kramer& Don Budge) the greatest female player in history.
A Phi Beta Kappa graduate of Cal-Berkeley, Wills was the first American woman athlete to become a global celebrity, making friends with royalty and film stars despite her preference for staying out of the limelight. She was admired for her graceful physique and for her fluid motion. She was part of a new tennis fashion, playing in knee-length pleated skirts rather than the longer ones of her predecessors. Grantland Rice, the famed American sportswriter, bestowed on Wills the nickname "Little Miss Poker Face".
She she won her first US Nationals in 1923 at age 17. The Gold Medalist at the 1924 Olympic Games in Paris, she would win 4 French Opens and 7 US Nationals in her first 7 attempts. Excluding two defaults in 1926 (emergency appendectomy) she reached the Finals of every Grand Slam she entered.
Wills was ranked in the world top ten from 1922 through 1925, 1927 through 1933, and in 1935 and 1938. She was World No. 1 in those rankings nine times, from 1927 through 1933 and in 1935 and 1938.
Many consider Suzanne Lenglen a better player but Wills was the GS record holder until Court passed her in 1970.
"She hit the ball harder than most, except maybe Steffi Graf,” said Don Budge. “Her footwork didn't have to be great. She would control the play because she hit the ball so hard."
Last edited by a moderator:
Jagov
Footballguy
JUDGING ANNOUNCEMENT - GREATEST FEMALE TRACK & FIELD ATHLETE (58) - RANKINGS - POST 1 OF 3
I will do this in 3 groups. Tim has already been consulted regarding the evaluation of my own selection in this category. She will be included in the rankings that follow.
Group C - 16 thru 11
16 (1 pt) - JENN SUHR
Pole vaulter for 12+ years. Participated at 3 Olympic Games and picked up 2 medals (1G, 1S). In 11 other large international tournaments she won 5 medals (1G, 2S, 2B). Broke 2 WRs during her career and is still holder of 1 indoor record. Gained some recognition in the US but nothing really relevant on a global scale. Jenn was a very good vaulter who had a few moments in the spotlight on the world stage. No more, no less.
Extra Fact - Her maiden name is Stuczynski.
15 (2 pts) - MARY DECKER SLANEY
Mary ran the 1500m, 3000m, 5000m and mile distances. She had early career success at the Pan Am Games and World Championships, earning 3 gold medals. After that it was years of suffering for her in the valley of sorrow. Injuries, 1980 Olympic boycott, Zola Budd, missed opportunities, more injuries, very limited participation in tournaments, doping allegations. She was the UPI Athlete of the Year in 1985 and broke the WR for the mile 3 times. But she never got that Olympic medal and didn’t really win much during her 24 year career.
Extra Fact - Mary has done quite well in Elliptical Cycling since her retirement
14 (3 pts) - CAROLINA KLUFT
Participated in heptathlon, pentathlon & long jump. Active for 10 years, which is short compared to most of the others selected. Won 1 gold medal at her 2 Olympic appearances. Picked up 10 medals (8G, 2B) at 12 large international tournaments. Lost time during her career due to multiple injuries. One of few athletes to at some time hold all five available international titles. European Athlete of the Year twice. Never broke any WRs.
Extra Fact - Carolina brought a lucky mascot (Eeyore from Winnie the Pooh) to every track meet
13 (4 pts) - JESSICA ENNIS-HILL
Participated in heptathlon, pentathlon, high jump & 100m hurdles. Her 13 year career was interrupted a few times by injury and children. Still, during 2 Olympic appearances she won 1 gold medal and picked up an additional 12 medals (9G, 1S, 2B) at 17 other large international tournaments. Never broke any WRs but was the Laureus World Sportswoman of the Year in 2013.
Extra Fact - She was appointed a Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire in 2017
12 (5 pts) - EVELYN ASHFORD
She was a sprinter. 100m, 200m and relays. Like some others, she missed time during her 16 year career due to injuries and children. Also missed the 1980 Olympics due to the boycott. Scored 5 medals (4G, 1S) at her 4 Olympic showings. 5 more gold from 5 other large international tournaments helped balance out her trophy case. Received accolades in the US but not much on the international scene. She did break the 100m WR a few times.
Extra Fact - She was the US flag bearer at the 1988 Olympics
11 (6 pts) - WILMA RUDOLPH
100m & 200m sprinter. Had the shortest career (6 years) of all selected. Retired at age 22! Won 4 medals (3G, 1B) at 2 Olympic Games. Won 2 more medals (1G, 1S) at her only other large international tournament. UPI Athlete of the Year for 1960. Member of the Athletics Hall of Fame. Set WRs in 100m, 200m and 4x100m relay during her active career. Civil rights activist post career. Length of career and limited international competitions pushed her down the rankings.
Extra Fact - Due to polio, Wilma wore a brace on her left leg until she was 12
I will do this in 3 groups. Tim has already been consulted regarding the evaluation of my own selection in this category. She will be included in the rankings that follow.
Group C - 16 thru 11
16 (1 pt) - JENN SUHR
Pole vaulter for 12+ years. Participated at 3 Olympic Games and picked up 2 medals (1G, 1S). In 11 other large international tournaments she won 5 medals (1G, 2S, 2B). Broke 2 WRs during her career and is still holder of 1 indoor record. Gained some recognition in the US but nothing really relevant on a global scale. Jenn was a very good vaulter who had a few moments in the spotlight on the world stage. No more, no less.
Extra Fact - Her maiden name is Stuczynski.
15 (2 pts) - MARY DECKER SLANEY
Mary ran the 1500m, 3000m, 5000m and mile distances. She had early career success at the Pan Am Games and World Championships, earning 3 gold medals. After that it was years of suffering for her in the valley of sorrow. Injuries, 1980 Olympic boycott, Zola Budd, missed opportunities, more injuries, very limited participation in tournaments, doping allegations. She was the UPI Athlete of the Year in 1985 and broke the WR for the mile 3 times. But she never got that Olympic medal and didn’t really win much during her 24 year career.
Extra Fact - Mary has done quite well in Elliptical Cycling since her retirement
14 (3 pts) - CAROLINA KLUFT
Participated in heptathlon, pentathlon & long jump. Active for 10 years, which is short compared to most of the others selected. Won 1 gold medal at her 2 Olympic appearances. Picked up 10 medals (8G, 2B) at 12 large international tournaments. Lost time during her career due to multiple injuries. One of few athletes to at some time hold all five available international titles. European Athlete of the Year twice. Never broke any WRs.
Extra Fact - Carolina brought a lucky mascot (Eeyore from Winnie the Pooh) to every track meet
13 (4 pts) - JESSICA ENNIS-HILL
Participated in heptathlon, pentathlon, high jump & 100m hurdles. Her 13 year career was interrupted a few times by injury and children. Still, during 2 Olympic appearances she won 1 gold medal and picked up an additional 12 medals (9G, 1S, 2B) at 17 other large international tournaments. Never broke any WRs but was the Laureus World Sportswoman of the Year in 2013.
Extra Fact - She was appointed a Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire in 2017
12 (5 pts) - EVELYN ASHFORD
She was a sprinter. 100m, 200m and relays. Like some others, she missed time during her 16 year career due to injuries and children. Also missed the 1980 Olympics due to the boycott. Scored 5 medals (4G, 1S) at her 4 Olympic showings. 5 more gold from 5 other large international tournaments helped balance out her trophy case. Received accolades in the US but not much on the international scene. She did break the 100m WR a few times.
Extra Fact - She was the US flag bearer at the 1988 Olympics
11 (6 pts) - WILMA RUDOLPH
100m & 200m sprinter. Had the shortest career (6 years) of all selected. Retired at age 22! Won 4 medals (3G, 1B) at 2 Olympic Games. Won 2 more medals (1G, 1S) at her only other large international tournament. UPI Athlete of the Year for 1960. Member of the Athletics Hall of Fame. Set WRs in 100m, 200m and 4x100m relay during her active career. Civil rights activist post career. Length of career and limited international competitions pushed her down the rankings.
Extra Fact - Due to polio, Wilma wore a brace on her left leg until she was 12
Jagov
Footballguy
JUDGING ANNOUNCEMENT - GREATEST FEMALE TRACK & FIELD ATHLETE (58) - RANKINGS - POST 2 OF 3
Group B - 10 thru 6
10 (7 pts) - FLORENCE GRIFFITH-JOYNER
100m & 200m sprinter. After Wilma Rudolph, the shortest career (8 years) of all selected. 5 medals (3G, 2S) at 2 Olympic Games. 3 additional medals (2G, 1S) at 3 other large international tournaments. UPI & World Athlete of the Year in 1988. Set WRs at 100m and 200m events in 1988. They still stand today. Without those, she would be lower on this list. Failed comeback attempt in 1996. Died far too young in 1998 at age 38. Her career length, limited international competitions and doping allegations pushed her down the rankings. Taking extended time off in 1985/86 to work at a bank and do hair/nail styling didn’t help her either.
Extra Fact - In 1989, LJN Toys created a “Barbie like” Flo Jo doll.
9 (8 pts) - GRETE WAITZ
Competed in 1500m, 3000m, Cross Country & Marathon distances. A very durable, injury free 18 year career. Missed the 1980 Olympics due to boycott. Did participate in 4 other Olympic Games where she won 1 silver medal. She added an additional 12 medals (7G, 1S, 4B) to her resume at 12 large international tournaments. She also won the NY Marathon 9 times, the London Marathon twice and the Helsinki Marathon once. Broke 5 WRs during her career. Member of the Athletics Hall of Fame. Worked for CARE and the Special Olympics post retirement.
Extra Fact - There is a statue of her in the Norway pavilion in EPCOT at the Walt Disney World Resort in Florida
8 (9 pts) - PAULA RADCLIFFE
Paula started her 23 year long career with 5K, 10K, Cross Country & Half Marathon distances before evolving into a full blown marathon runner. She won gold at the international level at Marathon, Cross Country, Half Marathon, 10K and 5K. Competed at 4 Olympic Games but never made the podium. She did win 20 medals (12G, 5S, 3B) at 30 other large international tournaments. She was also a 3 time winner of the London Marathon, a 3 time winner of the NY Marathon and won the Chicago Marathon once. Also a 3 time World Half Marathon Champion. World Athlete of the Year in 2002. Broke WRs 4 times. Held the Marathon record for 16 years and the 10K record for 14 years. Had to deal with minor doping allegations late in her career.
Extra Fact - She is the grandniece of 1920 Olympic silver medalist Charlotte Radcliffe
7 (10 pts) - FANNY BLANKERS-KOEN
Competed in 100m, 200m, relays, 80m hurdles, high jump, long jump, shot put and pentathlon. She lost some prime competition time during her 20 year career due to WW2. She was the first woman to win four Olympic gold medals, and achieved the feat in a single Olympics. Won an additional 8 medals (5G, 1S, 2B) during 3 other large international tournaments. IAAF Female Athlete of the Century. AP Female Athlete of the Year in 1948. Member of the Athletics Hall of Fame. Broke WRs 16 times in 8 different events. She was the Dutch athletic team leader for 10+ years after her retirement.
Extra Fact - She once shook hands with and signed an autograph for a FBG known as Jagov
6 (11 pts) - GAIL DEVERS
Competed in 60m, 100m, relays, 60m hurdles & 100m hurdles. Early in her 18 year career, she was diagnosed with Graves disease and amputation of her feet was being considered. She overcame that to participate in 5 Olympics and win 3 gold medals. She won an additional 15 medals (11G, 4S) at 11 other large international tournaments. Came close but never broke any WRs. Boat loads of US awards and recognition.
Extra Fact - Her long nails came as the result of a contest her father devised to get her to stop biting her nails as a child
Group B - 10 thru 6
10 (7 pts) - FLORENCE GRIFFITH-JOYNER
100m & 200m sprinter. After Wilma Rudolph, the shortest career (8 years) of all selected. 5 medals (3G, 2S) at 2 Olympic Games. 3 additional medals (2G, 1S) at 3 other large international tournaments. UPI & World Athlete of the Year in 1988. Set WRs at 100m and 200m events in 1988. They still stand today. Without those, she would be lower on this list. Failed comeback attempt in 1996. Died far too young in 1998 at age 38. Her career length, limited international competitions and doping allegations pushed her down the rankings. Taking extended time off in 1985/86 to work at a bank and do hair/nail styling didn’t help her either.
Extra Fact - In 1989, LJN Toys created a “Barbie like” Flo Jo doll.
9 (8 pts) - GRETE WAITZ
Competed in 1500m, 3000m, Cross Country & Marathon distances. A very durable, injury free 18 year career. Missed the 1980 Olympics due to boycott. Did participate in 4 other Olympic Games where she won 1 silver medal. She added an additional 12 medals (7G, 1S, 4B) to her resume at 12 large international tournaments. She also won the NY Marathon 9 times, the London Marathon twice and the Helsinki Marathon once. Broke 5 WRs during her career. Member of the Athletics Hall of Fame. Worked for CARE and the Special Olympics post retirement.
Extra Fact - There is a statue of her in the Norway pavilion in EPCOT at the Walt Disney World Resort in Florida
8 (9 pts) - PAULA RADCLIFFE
Paula started her 23 year long career with 5K, 10K, Cross Country & Half Marathon distances before evolving into a full blown marathon runner. She won gold at the international level at Marathon, Cross Country, Half Marathon, 10K and 5K. Competed at 4 Olympic Games but never made the podium. She did win 20 medals (12G, 5S, 3B) at 30 other large international tournaments. She was also a 3 time winner of the London Marathon, a 3 time winner of the NY Marathon and won the Chicago Marathon once. Also a 3 time World Half Marathon Champion. World Athlete of the Year in 2002. Broke WRs 4 times. Held the Marathon record for 16 years and the 10K record for 14 years. Had to deal with minor doping allegations late in her career.
Extra Fact - She is the grandniece of 1920 Olympic silver medalist Charlotte Radcliffe
7 (10 pts) - FANNY BLANKERS-KOEN
Competed in 100m, 200m, relays, 80m hurdles, high jump, long jump, shot put and pentathlon. She lost some prime competition time during her 20 year career due to WW2. She was the first woman to win four Olympic gold medals, and achieved the feat in a single Olympics. Won an additional 8 medals (5G, 1S, 2B) during 3 other large international tournaments. IAAF Female Athlete of the Century. AP Female Athlete of the Year in 1948. Member of the Athletics Hall of Fame. Broke WRs 16 times in 8 different events. She was the Dutch athletic team leader for 10+ years after her retirement.
Extra Fact - She once shook hands with and signed an autograph for a FBG known as Jagov
6 (11 pts) - GAIL DEVERS
Competed in 60m, 100m, relays, 60m hurdles & 100m hurdles. Early in her 18 year career, she was diagnosed with Graves disease and amputation of her feet was being considered. She overcame that to participate in 5 Olympics and win 3 gold medals. She won an additional 15 medals (11G, 4S) at 11 other large international tournaments. Came close but never broke any WRs. Boat loads of US awards and recognition.
Extra Fact - Her long nails came as the result of a contest her father devised to get her to stop biting her nails as a child
Zow
Footballguy
Jagov
Footballguy
JUDGING ANNOUNCEMENT - GREATEST FEMALE TRACK & FIELD ATHLETE (58) - RANKINGS - POST 3 OF 3
Group A - 5 thru 1
5 (12 pts) - SHELLY-ANN FRASER-PRICE
Shelly is a sprinter. Maybe the best ever. Her events are 60m, 100m, 200m and relays. Her career started 13 years ago and she is still at it. She has won 6 medals (2G, 3S, 1B) at the 3 Olympics that she has appeared in. She has also won an additional 17 medals (13G, 4S) during 17 large international tournaments. The only sprinter in history to win the 100m World Championship four times. The only woman to achieve a "sprint triple" at a single World Championship. The only female sprinter to reign as World Champion at 60m, 100m, 200m and 4 × 100m relay at the same time. She has more global 100m titles than any other female sprinter in history. Won World Athlete of the Year in 2013. And with all of that going for her, she still is somewhat eclipsed by Usain Bolt, her fellow countryman.
Extra Fact - When Shelly started running at age 10, she did so barefoot
4 (13 pts) - YELENA ISINBAYEVA
Pole vaulter. That’s it. But boy did she do it well. During her 18 year career, she won close to everything she participated in. She won 3 medals (2G, 1B) from 3 Olympic appearance. 18 medals (15G, 2S, 1B) from 21 showings at large international tournaments. Missed the 2016 Olympics due to a ban of the Russian Track & Field team. Won nine straight gold medals in indoor and outdoor championships between 2004 & 2009. Has broken 28 WRs (15 outdoor & 13 indoor), one of which has stood for 11 years. Won the IAAF World Athlete of the Year award in 2004, 2005 and 2008. Won the Laureus World Sportswoman of the Year award in 2007 & 2009. A beast with the long bendy stick!
Extra Fact - She is one of only nine athletes ever to win world championships at the youth, junior, and senior level
3 (14 pts) - IRENA SZEWINSKA
Competitive in 50m, 60m, 100m, 200m, 400m & long jump during her 16 year career. Won 7 medals (3G, 2S, 2B) at the 5 Olympics she appeared in. Collected an additional 20 medals (11G, 3S, 6B) at 12 large international tournaments. She broke 8 WRs and was the only athlete ever to break WRs in the 100m, 200m and 400m events. She was ranked #1 in the world 7 times in the 200m, 4 times in the 400m, 2 times in the 100m and 3 times in the long jump. Member of the Athletic Hall of Fame. The only one of our 16 selectee's who has been awarded the Olympic Order. UPI Athlete of the Year in 1974. Was President of the Polish Athletic Association from 1997 to 2009.
Extra Fact - She is also a member of the International Jewish Sports Hall of Fame
2 (15 pts) - ALLYSON FELIX
Allyson is a sprinter. And a pretty good one at that! 100m, 200m, 400m & relays are her events. She may be the best female sprinter ever. Active for 16 years and still going. She has come away from 4 Olympics with 9 medals (6G, 3S). She has also earned 24 additional medals (16G, 5S, 3B) at 12 large international tournaments. Won the IAAF World Athlete of the Year award in 2012.
Extra Fact - Allyson is active in Sports Diplomacy
1 (16 pts) - JACKIE JOYNER-KERSEY
There can be only one! And she is it. The Greatest Female Track & Field Athlete of all time. A great long jumper but a dominator in the heptathlon. During her 14 year career she owned this event, the ultimate athletic test. She won 6 medals (3G, 1S, 2B) at 4 Olympic outings. In 10 other large international tournaments she won 9 medals, all gold. She is a member of the Athletic Hall of Fame. Won the IAAF World Athlete of the Year award in 1994. Set WRs in the heptathlon 4 times. Her last one has stood as the best since 1988! Congrats Jackie.
Extra Fact - Jackie was born in 1962 and named after Jackie Kennedy
Group A - 5 thru 1
5 (12 pts) - SHELLY-ANN FRASER-PRICE
Shelly is a sprinter. Maybe the best ever. Her events are 60m, 100m, 200m and relays. Her career started 13 years ago and she is still at it. She has won 6 medals (2G, 3S, 1B) at the 3 Olympics that she has appeared in. She has also won an additional 17 medals (13G, 4S) during 17 large international tournaments. The only sprinter in history to win the 100m World Championship four times. The only woman to achieve a "sprint triple" at a single World Championship. The only female sprinter to reign as World Champion at 60m, 100m, 200m and 4 × 100m relay at the same time. She has more global 100m titles than any other female sprinter in history. Won World Athlete of the Year in 2013. And with all of that going for her, she still is somewhat eclipsed by Usain Bolt, her fellow countryman.
Extra Fact - When Shelly started running at age 10, she did so barefoot
4 (13 pts) - YELENA ISINBAYEVA
Pole vaulter. That’s it. But boy did she do it well. During her 18 year career, she won close to everything she participated in. She won 3 medals (2G, 1B) from 3 Olympic appearance. 18 medals (15G, 2S, 1B) from 21 showings at large international tournaments. Missed the 2016 Olympics due to a ban of the Russian Track & Field team. Won nine straight gold medals in indoor and outdoor championships between 2004 & 2009. Has broken 28 WRs (15 outdoor & 13 indoor), one of which has stood for 11 years. Won the IAAF World Athlete of the Year award in 2004, 2005 and 2008. Won the Laureus World Sportswoman of the Year award in 2007 & 2009. A beast with the long bendy stick!
Extra Fact - She is one of only nine athletes ever to win world championships at the youth, junior, and senior level
3 (14 pts) - IRENA SZEWINSKA
Competitive in 50m, 60m, 100m, 200m, 400m & long jump during her 16 year career. Won 7 medals (3G, 2S, 2B) at the 5 Olympics she appeared in. Collected an additional 20 medals (11G, 3S, 6B) at 12 large international tournaments. She broke 8 WRs and was the only athlete ever to break WRs in the 100m, 200m and 400m events. She was ranked #1 in the world 7 times in the 200m, 4 times in the 400m, 2 times in the 100m and 3 times in the long jump. Member of the Athletic Hall of Fame. The only one of our 16 selectee's who has been awarded the Olympic Order. UPI Athlete of the Year in 1974. Was President of the Polish Athletic Association from 1997 to 2009.
Extra Fact - She is also a member of the International Jewish Sports Hall of Fame
2 (15 pts) - ALLYSON FELIX
Allyson is a sprinter. And a pretty good one at that! 100m, 200m, 400m & relays are her events. She may be the best female sprinter ever. Active for 16 years and still going. She has come away from 4 Olympics with 9 medals (6G, 3S). She has also earned 24 additional medals (16G, 5S, 3B) at 12 large international tournaments. Won the IAAF World Athlete of the Year award in 2012.
Extra Fact - Allyson is active in Sports Diplomacy
1 (16 pts) - JACKIE JOYNER-KERSEY
There can be only one! And she is it. The Greatest Female Track & Field Athlete of all time. A great long jumper but a dominator in the heptathlon. During her 14 year career she owned this event, the ultimate athletic test. She won 6 medals (3G, 1S, 2B) at 4 Olympic outings. In 10 other large international tournaments she won 9 medals, all gold. She is a member of the Athletic Hall of Fame. Won the IAAF World Athlete of the Year award in 1994. Set WRs in the heptathlon 4 times. Her last one has stood as the best since 1988! Congrats Jackie.
Extra Fact - Jackie was born in 1962 and named after Jackie Kennedy
Lot's of sprinters up in that top tier...….not one distance runner......hmmmm
ETA: I guess they just got to the finish line quicker. Even though it feels like it, this draft must a sprint and not a marathon. Sorry, I will show myself out now.
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wikkidpissah
Footballguy
more medals in sprint cats, not to mention that sprint speed opens jump categories. iirc, milers+ were under-represented in the male track selections as well.
waaaay too much counting in this thing so far. the legacy of sabremetrics?
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BobbyLayne
Footballguy
Category 54. (continued; Tier 3 & 4)
Greatest Women’s Tennis Player
Tier 4
“What might have been...”
12. (5 points) Maureen Connelly-Brinker
9 Grand Slams in 11 Finals appearances
52-2 (96.3%) GS match record 1949-54
398–35 (91.9%) match record 1919-38
won 180 consecutive matches, 158 in straight sets
5’5”
"Little Mo" burst onto the scene by winning the U.S. Open at 17 in 1951, and over the next three years, won 9 Grand Slam singles titles. In 1953, she became the first woman to win all four Grand Slam tournaments during the same calendar year.
She was the second player (Don Budge, 1938) to achieve the Grand Slam. Connolly won the last nine Grand Slam singles tournaments she played, including 50 consecutive singles matches.
Connolly's achievements made her the darling of the media and one of the most popular personalities in the U.S.; she was named Female Athlete of the Year by the Associated Press for three straight years, from 1951 through 1953.
The following year, in July 1954, a horseback riding accident seriously injured her right leg and ended her competitive tennis career at age 20. What she achieved in a short period of time still ranks her as one of the best to ever play the sport.
Australian Open (1953)
French Open (1953, 1954)
Wimbledon (1952, 1953, 1954)
US Open (1951, 1952, 1953)
_______________________________
11. (6 points) Martina Hingis
5 Grand Slams (12 Finals)
548–135 (80.2%)
43 WTA titles
#1 209 weeks
5’7”
Martina Hingis was a teenage tennis sensation. She won her first Grand Slam in doubles at age 15 and her first in singles at age 16, taking home the Australian Open. Like Mo Connelly, she won all of her Singles GS as a teenager.
Hingis’ 209 weeks at #1 rank only behind Steffi Graf, Martina Navratilova (from who she is named), Serena Williams and Chris Evert all-time. Losses in the 1997 and 99 French Opens is the only thing that kept her from the career slam.
At the peak of her career, Hingis was one of the most dominant players the sport has seen. Beginning with the 1996 US Open through the 2002 Australian Open, Hingis advanced to at least the semifinals of 20 Slams. She retired from the sport at just 22 in 2002. She had a limited successful comeback in 2006 and 2007 before retiring again after receiving a ban for testing positive for cocaine, resulting in a two year ban.
She also found success in doubles, winning at Wimbledon and the U.S. Open into her thirties, to bring her career full circle.
Widely considered an all-time tennis great, Hingis was ranked by Tennis magazine in 2005 as the 8th-greatest female player of the preceding 40 years.
_______________________________
10. (7 points) Justine Hénin
7 Grand Slams (12 Finals)
43 WTA titles (10th), 7 ITF
525–115 (82.03%) match record
5’5”
2004 Gold Medalist
#1 Year End 2003, 2006-07 (117 weeks total)
Small, athletic, mentally tough.
Justine Henin is one of the last great tennis champions in the women's game to use a one-handed backhand. It was an elegant but deadly stroke often compared to that of Roger Federer in the men’s game. McEnroe called it the best in the game, man or woman.
She reached all four GS finals in 2006. Twice won the French Open without dropping a set. Lacked only a Wimbledon title, runner up twice.
She was a closer. 10/14 in Tier 1 Finals, 43/61 WTA Finals. Won two WTA Championships finals.
Although Henin had an impressive career, the question of "what might have been" lingers over her career since she retired when she was still relatively young. Henin announced her immediate retirement from professional tennis on 14 May 2008, and requested the WTA to remove her name from the rankings immediately. Her announcement was a surprise because she was ranked world No. 1 and was considered the favorite for the French Open, where she would have been the three-time defending champion. She was 26 and burned out from 20 years of tennis.
She returned in 2010 to reach the Finals of the Australian. She won 2 more WTA Titles but never threatened in a major again.
_______________________________
Tier 3
“Good answer, good answer!”
9. (8 points) Evonne Goolagong Cawley
7 Grand Slams (18 Finals)
704–165 (81.0%) Match record
68 titles in the Open era (6th)
Reached #1 1976 (2 weeks)
5’6”
Evonne Goolagong Cawley was one of two Australians to dominate the game early in the Open Era, along with her countrywoman Margaret Court.
Coming from an Aboriginal Australian background, she overcame an environment of discrimination similar to that faced by Althea Gibson in the United States.
But overcome it Gooolagong did. She won four times at her home Australian Open and seven Grand Slam titles total, as well as leading Australia to three Fed Cup titles. Won the Channel Slam (French + Wimbledon) in 1971. Never won the US Open but finished runner 4 consecutive years (1973-76.) Between 1971-77 she reached the finals in 17 of 21 GS she entered.
Won 15 titles in 1970, 6th most in WTA history. In 1980, she became the first mother to win Wimbledon in 66 years.
_______________________________
8. (9 points) Venus Williams
7 Grand Slams (16 Finals)
811–251 (76.4%) match record
49 titles
6’1”
2-7 GS finals v Serena, 5-2 vs all other players
3x #1 for a total of 11 weeks. She was the first black woman to reach the top spot in the Open era and the first since Althea Gibson.
Venus and Serena Williams form arguably the most iconic pairing of siblings in sports history. Without question, they are the greatest pair in tennis history.
Venus is often overshadowed by her younger sister’s achievements, but her career is worthy of tremendous recognition in its own right.
In particular, Venus used a powerful serve and crisp volleys to dominate at Wimbledon, which she has won five times.
All-time she ranks 6th in WTA matches won and 10th in titles. 12th all-time in GS Titles, 8th in the Open era.
_______________________________
7. (10 points) Monica Seles
9 Grand Slams (13 Finals)
53 titles
595–122 (82.99%)
5’10”
won first 6 GS Finals
made 8 straight Finals including all 4 in 1999
won 7/9 (7/8 played) GS ‘91 AO to ‘93 AO
won 8/12 (8/11 played) GS ‘90 RG to ‘93 AO
Monica Seles took the tennis world by storm with a unique playing style — two-handed groundstrokes on both sides — that she used to devastating effect.
Her stretch of eight grand slams won between 1990 and 1993 is one of the greatest runs of dominance recorded by a player in the modern era.
Seles 178 weeks at #1 6th all-time on the WTA Tour. Her 9 Grand Slam titles tie her for 6th in the Open era and 53 WTA titles are ninth all time. If she hadn't missed 2.5 years after being stabbed on court, she would likely be considered one of the top five players ever.
From January 1991 through February 1993, Seles won 22 titles and reached 33 finals out of the 34 tournaments she played. She compiled a 159–12 win-loss record (92.9% winning percentage), including a 55–1 win-loss record (98%) in Grand Slam tournaments. In the broader context of her first four years on the circuit (1989–1992), Seles had a win-loss record of 231–25 (90.2%) and collected 30 titles. Ended the year as the #1 ranked player in the world 1991 & 1992.
In 1993, she was stabbed by a deranged Graf fan at a tournament in Germany. Her career never really recovered, but she added one more Grand Slam to her mantle at the 1996 Australian Open.
Greatest Women’s Tennis Player
Tier 4
“What might have been...”
12. (5 points) Maureen Connelly-Brinker
9 Grand Slams in 11 Finals appearances
52-2 (96.3%) GS match record 1949-54
398–35 (91.9%) match record 1919-38
won 180 consecutive matches, 158 in straight sets
5’5”
"Little Mo" burst onto the scene by winning the U.S. Open at 17 in 1951, and over the next three years, won 9 Grand Slam singles titles. In 1953, she became the first woman to win all four Grand Slam tournaments during the same calendar year.
She was the second player (Don Budge, 1938) to achieve the Grand Slam. Connolly won the last nine Grand Slam singles tournaments she played, including 50 consecutive singles matches.
Connolly's achievements made her the darling of the media and one of the most popular personalities in the U.S.; she was named Female Athlete of the Year by the Associated Press for three straight years, from 1951 through 1953.
The following year, in July 1954, a horseback riding accident seriously injured her right leg and ended her competitive tennis career at age 20. What she achieved in a short period of time still ranks her as one of the best to ever play the sport.
Australian Open (1953)
French Open (1953, 1954)
Wimbledon (1952, 1953, 1954)
US Open (1951, 1952, 1953)
_______________________________
11. (6 points) Martina Hingis
5 Grand Slams (12 Finals)
548–135 (80.2%)
43 WTA titles
#1 209 weeks
5’7”
Martina Hingis was a teenage tennis sensation. She won her first Grand Slam in doubles at age 15 and her first in singles at age 16, taking home the Australian Open. Like Mo Connelly, she won all of her Singles GS as a teenager.
Hingis’ 209 weeks at #1 rank only behind Steffi Graf, Martina Navratilova (from who she is named), Serena Williams and Chris Evert all-time. Losses in the 1997 and 99 French Opens is the only thing that kept her from the career slam.
At the peak of her career, Hingis was one of the most dominant players the sport has seen. Beginning with the 1996 US Open through the 2002 Australian Open, Hingis advanced to at least the semifinals of 20 Slams. She retired from the sport at just 22 in 2002. She had a limited successful comeback in 2006 and 2007 before retiring again after receiving a ban for testing positive for cocaine, resulting in a two year ban.
She also found success in doubles, winning at Wimbledon and the U.S. Open into her thirties, to bring her career full circle.
Widely considered an all-time tennis great, Hingis was ranked by Tennis magazine in 2005 as the 8th-greatest female player of the preceding 40 years.
_______________________________
10. (7 points) Justine Hénin
7 Grand Slams (12 Finals)
43 WTA titles (10th), 7 ITF
525–115 (82.03%) match record
5’5”
2004 Gold Medalist
#1 Year End 2003, 2006-07 (117 weeks total)
Small, athletic, mentally tough.
Justine Henin is one of the last great tennis champions in the women's game to use a one-handed backhand. It was an elegant but deadly stroke often compared to that of Roger Federer in the men’s game. McEnroe called it the best in the game, man or woman.
She reached all four GS finals in 2006. Twice won the French Open without dropping a set. Lacked only a Wimbledon title, runner up twice.
She was a closer. 10/14 in Tier 1 Finals, 43/61 WTA Finals. Won two WTA Championships finals.
Although Henin had an impressive career, the question of "what might have been" lingers over her career since she retired when she was still relatively young. Henin announced her immediate retirement from professional tennis on 14 May 2008, and requested the WTA to remove her name from the rankings immediately. Her announcement was a surprise because she was ranked world No. 1 and was considered the favorite for the French Open, where she would have been the three-time defending champion. She was 26 and burned out from 20 years of tennis.
She returned in 2010 to reach the Finals of the Australian. She won 2 more WTA Titles but never threatened in a major again.
_______________________________
Tier 3
“Good answer, good answer!”
9. (8 points) Evonne Goolagong Cawley
7 Grand Slams (18 Finals)
704–165 (81.0%) Match record
68 titles in the Open era (6th)
Reached #1 1976 (2 weeks)
5’6”
Evonne Goolagong Cawley was one of two Australians to dominate the game early in the Open Era, along with her countrywoman Margaret Court.
Coming from an Aboriginal Australian background, she overcame an environment of discrimination similar to that faced by Althea Gibson in the United States.
But overcome it Gooolagong did. She won four times at her home Australian Open and seven Grand Slam titles total, as well as leading Australia to three Fed Cup titles. Won the Channel Slam (French + Wimbledon) in 1971. Never won the US Open but finished runner 4 consecutive years (1973-76.) Between 1971-77 she reached the finals in 17 of 21 GS she entered.
Won 15 titles in 1970, 6th most in WTA history. In 1980, she became the first mother to win Wimbledon in 66 years.
_______________________________
8. (9 points) Venus Williams
7 Grand Slams (16 Finals)
811–251 (76.4%) match record
49 titles
6’1”
2-7 GS finals v Serena, 5-2 vs all other players
3x #1 for a total of 11 weeks. She was the first black woman to reach the top spot in the Open era and the first since Althea Gibson.
Venus and Serena Williams form arguably the most iconic pairing of siblings in sports history. Without question, they are the greatest pair in tennis history.
Venus is often overshadowed by her younger sister’s achievements, but her career is worthy of tremendous recognition in its own right.
In particular, Venus used a powerful serve and crisp volleys to dominate at Wimbledon, which she has won five times.
All-time she ranks 6th in WTA matches won and 10th in titles. 12th all-time in GS Titles, 8th in the Open era.
_______________________________
7. (10 points) Monica Seles
9 Grand Slams (13 Finals)
53 titles
595–122 (82.99%)
5’10”
won first 6 GS Finals
made 8 straight Finals including all 4 in 1999
won 7/9 (7/8 played) GS ‘91 AO to ‘93 AO
won 8/12 (8/11 played) GS ‘90 RG to ‘93 AO
Monica Seles took the tennis world by storm with a unique playing style — two-handed groundstrokes on both sides — that she used to devastating effect.
Her stretch of eight grand slams won between 1990 and 1993 is one of the greatest runs of dominance recorded by a player in the modern era.
Seles 178 weeks at #1 6th all-time on the WTA Tour. Her 9 Grand Slam titles tie her for 6th in the Open era and 53 WTA titles are ninth all time. If she hadn't missed 2.5 years after being stabbed on court, she would likely be considered one of the top five players ever.
From January 1991 through February 1993, Seles won 22 titles and reached 33 finals out of the 34 tournaments she played. She compiled a 159–12 win-loss record (92.9% winning percentage), including a 55–1 win-loss record (98%) in Grand Slam tournaments. In the broader context of her first four years on the circuit (1989–1992), Seles had a win-loss record of 231–25 (90.2%) and collected 30 titles. Ended the year as the #1 ranked player in the world 1991 & 1992.
In 1993, she was stabbed by a deranged Graf fan at a tournament in Germany. Her career never really recovered, but she added one more Grand Slam to her mantle at the 1996 Australian Open.
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That was always the debate for me in making a selection. I figured the marque sprint events would get the most notoriety as usual but I wanted to go out of the box. Plus I wanted to look into some lesser known athletes. There are some pretty amazing distance runners. I was hoping they would be represented in the top 5 based on their impact to their events since it's hard to really compare the two disciplines. Unfortunately, the hardware makes it difficult. Radcliffe was a marathoner that was at a peak before marathon came back into the Olympics and then she had unfortunate injuries around the Olympics. Bad luck and understand the tough chore it would be to rank across disciplines. I think @Jagov did a tremendous job with a very difficult task
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wikkidpissah
Footballguy
i have no doubt of @Jagov's thoroughness. i find it a shame that there is so little evidence that judges have read the cases made for the selections, because his was voluminous. having followed more generations of athletes than most here, i understand that medals, pennants, awards must be relied more heavily upon by younger participants, but that discharges only a small portion of my chagrin.