Serena Williams is the CABRA of women’s tennis in the eyes of many.
But Martina Navratilova says there’s room for debate.
“If they’re only older, then they hit Serena,” Navratilova said Monday at a call to the Tennis Channel convention when I asked her what her idea was about it. “If you take another path, then it’s me, or Steffi Graf, Margaret Court. It just depends on how you need to measure that.
“But I think Serena just needs that record [of 24 Grand Slam titles] regardless of the state of GOAT. For her, it’s more or less that number. Now you have a great chance with the US Open with a smaller picture, obviously.
For the sake of 23, Court is the most sensible on the list of all time with 24 majors, followed by Serena’s 23 and Graf’s 22, Helen Wills Moody won 19, Navratilova and her rival Chrissie Evert captured 18 each. Navratilova, who will help anchor US Open Tennis Channel policy, has won more tennis titles than any other, male or female, in history.
Williams, who beat Dutch player Arantxa Rus 7-6 (6), 3-6, 7-6 (0) on Monday in her first western and South Open setting, is in New York for the warm-up. and the US Open since August 31. Stay in a personal space on Long Island instead of tournament hotels, partly because of your lung disorders and Covid considerations.
Serena, who will turn 39 next month, has a 0-4 record in her last 4 Grand Slams since she was a mother, adding back-to-back losses at the U. S. Open to Naomi Osaka in 2018 and Bianca Andreescu of Canada in 2019.
Now he has the golden chance to tie Court up in 24 majors at a sold-out U. S. Open that loses six of the world’s 10 most sensible women, adding to the No. 1 from Australia Ash Barty, Romania No. 2 Simona Halep and No. 1. 6 From Romania Andreescu.
However, although Williams peaked at number 24, Navratilova said there was room for discussion on goat status, noting that in its day, concentration was not in the majors.
“There are many other measuring sticks,” Navratilova said On Monday. “It’s hard for me to communicate it in an absolutely objective way because we were betting under some other measuring stick, so to speak, my time with Chris and me. “Don’t even bet on the French Open or the Australian Open because we were betting on the World Tennis Team. The Australian Open wasn’t even big enough and the money was so bad that we’d make more money betting normal tournaments than going to Australia. have become a huge measuring stick in the 1990s.
On the men’s side, there is also a healthy debate about the participation of Roger Federer’s “Big Three” (20 majors), Rafael Nadal (19) and Novak Djokovic (17), as well as Rod Laver (two Grand Slam tournaments). .
Court, who won 11 of his 24 majors in his home Australia at a time when the painting was basically made up of Australian players, echoed similar feelings about Navratilova and Evert compared to Serena’s total.
However, in one poll, Tennis Channel ranked Serena as the number one player of all time, followed by Navratilova at number two, Graf, Evert and Billie Jean King.
Apart from Laver, Graf and Court, Serena is the player who holds all four Grand Slam singles titles on several occasions.
ESPN’s John McEnroe and Evert are among those who call Williams the GOAT.
“I, Serena, is one of the most important athletes of all time, period,” McEnroe said in 2015. “Male or female. She’s the biggest player I’ve ever seen. He’s shown it to me over and over again. “
Evert said the same thing, though covering a little.
“Of course, Serena is the most productive of all time,” she said in 2018. “You can present a case, but it’s ridiculous. We were the most productive of our time. Serena is the most productive of her time. “
In terms of general weeks at World No. 1, Graf leads with 377, followed by Navratilova with 332 and Serena with 319.
Serena will have two more chances in 2020 to fit Court’s 24 at the US Open and Roland Garros. She has not won a primary since defeating her older sister Venus at the Australian Open ultimate (while pregnant with her daughter Olympia) in 2017.
If the calendar changes to 2021 without Serena winning the major, she will have 40, like Federer, when things don’t get any easier.
“What threatens to lose in terms of speed, you will gain knowledge, how to play points, how to manage your feelings and everything else,” Navratilova said. “There are other gains or other compensations. It doesn’t get any easier.
“Yes, time doesn’t depend on those guys, whether it’s Roger or Serena. He’s not a friend.
Finally, Navratilova noted that the lack of enthusiasts at the Open may be something that opposes Serena, who thrives thanks to the crowd, especially in New York.
“She likes to feed on the power of the crowd,” Navratilova said. “I probably wouldn’t be there. I think it’s more of a disadvantage for more productive players than for lower-ranking players, crowds aren’t there. A little equalization. “
For her part, Serena has now played with fans of two-game games, losing in the quarter-finals at Lexington and winning her first attack in New York. It’s 3-1 since the reboot after the pandemic.
“Now I feel like I’m moving on to that Array and now I can pass the Open through the game at Ashe Stadium,” he said after Monday’s victory.
“At one point, I’d raise my fist and say, come on. I had a crowd in my head or something. (Laughter. ) It was fun for me. I don’t know. To me, it was like there was a crowd there.
I’m a basketball and tennis expert who collaborates with the New York Times, the NJ Advance Media and the country’s newspapers. I’m also the one with two books and one
I’m a connoisseur of basketball and tennis who collaborates with the New York Times, NJ Advance Media and the country’s newspapers. I am also the author of two books and an award-winning filmmaker. My family circle lives in Manhattan with our dog.