Rivalry... What Rivalry?

Throughout history, the WTA has been host to a number of famous rivalries. Tennis fans in the 1970s and 80s experienced the 15-year rivalry of Martina Navratilova and Chris Evert. In the 1990s, women’s tennis had the intense rivalry between Steffi Graf and Monica Seles. Lastly, from the late 90s to present day, tennis fans have experienced the sisterly-battle between Venus and Serena Williams. However, the Williams Sisters have met only once since 2010, making it difficult to consider this matchup a rivalry anymore.

A rivalry is the competition for superiority in the same field. Over the past decade, women’s tennis hasn’t seen the development of a marque rivalry between two top players. There were several matchups that still have the potential to become the next great rivalry in women’s tennis; however, over the past few years, the likelihood has diminished. In this blog, I will discuss whether the lack of a highly contested rivalry is bad for women’s tennis, as well as the potential rivalries tennis fans may see in the future.

As women’s tennis said goodbye to players like Kim Clijsters, Justine Henin, and Lindsay Davenport, there was a group of young players that seemed posed to take their place at the top. Leading the charge were Maria Sharapova and Ana Ivanovic, who both won major titles and became number one in the world by the age of 20. In addition, players like Caroline Wozniacki, Victoria Azarenka, and Petra Kvitova, who are several years younger than Sharapova and Ivanovic, possess the ability to become the tennis’ next superstar. The future looked bright for the WTA, who was poised to find the game’s next rivalry. However, a rivalry between these players never truly emerged.

The biggest reason for the lack of a rivalry is the inconsistent play by all of these players. Sharapova, the most consistent of these players, has suffered long absences away from the tour due to injury, thus preventing her from sustaining a high level of tennis. Ivanovic, after her maiden grand slam win at Roland Garros in 2008, could not handle the expectations of being No. 1 in the world. Consequently, the Serb has not been able to replicate the form that got her to the top of the women’s game. Conversely, Wozniacki falls into a similar category as former world number ones Jelena Jankovic and Dinara Safina. The Dane got to number one in the world because of her strong results at the smaller WTA events. However, when it came to the majors, she has not been able to breakthrough. When Wozniacki was the top female player, she protected her ranking, instead of trying to improve her game. As a result, Wozniacki was unable to defend the ranking points she accrued, and has seen her ranking fall from number one in 2011 to No. 18.

Another former world number one Victoria Azarenka has also had her struggles of late. The Belarusian is currently nursing a toe injury, which forced her to pull out of this week’s Sony Open in Miami. Azarenka early on in her career frequently retired in matches because of injury. The two-time Australian Open Champion was beginning to solidify herself as a top 2 player; however, injury would hamper Azarenka’s continued success. Lastly, we have the head-scratcher, Petra Kvitova. Kvitova possesses one of the most powerful games in women’s tennis. Unfortunately, inconsistency is a word commonly used to describe the Czech southpaw. In 2011, Kvitova had one of the most impressive years in WTA history. The Czech won six WTA titles including Wimbledon, the premier mandatory event in Madrid, and the WTA Championships. Since Kvitova’s breakthrough year in 2011, the Czech has struggled to play the imposing tennis that got her to number two in the world.

When considering the rivalry between Chris Evert and Martina Navratilova, there are several distinctions between the two all-time greats and today’s young players. First, Evert and Navratilova dominated women’s tennis for almost two decades. The two went head-to-head 80 times in their careers, with Navratilova having the slight edge 43-37. Second, both Evert and Navratilova were mentally tougher than all of the other players on tour. Despite Evert and Navratilova’s contrasting styles of play, the two were able to break down opponents both mentally and physically. Many of today’s top players possess the physical prowess to compete at an elite level; however, a select few have the mental fortitude to match. The lack of mentally tough players on the WTA Tour is one of the reasons why Serena Williams has dominated women’s tennis over the past two years. The best players in history all have a similar characteristic: when having an off day on court, they are able to persevere, and battle past the adversity.   

With the lack of a great rivalry on the WTA Tour, I pose the question, “Is it bad for women’s tennis?” My answer to the question is unfortunately yes. The ATP Tour has several intense rivalries, some of the best in history. The rivalries between “The Big Four” bring excitement and intrigue to the sport. From a marketing perspective, an advertisement detailing the championship match between Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal for a major title would probably draw a large number of viewers because the rivalry is well known by those who love the sport, and by the occasional viewer. Rivalries are what entice people to watch sports. Whether it’s the New York Giants vs. the Dallas Cowboys, or the Boston Celtics vs. the Los Angeles Lakers, the precedent between athletes or teams is what draws viewers to the sport.

As previously mentioned, the WTA had one of the greatest rivalries in sports history with Chris Evert and Martina Navratilova. People knew that every time these women met on the tennis court, it was going to be a battle. Evert and Navratilova are comparable to great sports franchises like the Celtics and the Lakers because it was almost a guarantee that both women would be contesting for the title on championship Sunday. This guarantee is what the women’s game is lacking today.

As a tennis lover, I find some enjoyment in the unpredictability of the women’s game. When the draw is released for a major tournament, I analyze it thoroughly, quarter by quarter, making my predictions for the tournament. However, it never ceases to amaze me when players who were not even on my radar prior to the tournament, cause a massive upset. Take this year’s Australian Open for example. If you had told me before the tournament that Ana Ivanovic was going to beat Serena Williams and Agnieszka Radwanska would upset Victoria Azarenka, I probably would have burst out laughing. But that is the unpredictability of the women’s game. As a result of these upsets, players like Eugiene Bouchard and Dominika Cibulkova were able to make the semifinals and finals respectively. Putting my opinion aside, for the occasional tennis viewer, watching the biggest names in the sport lose early in the tournament is a deterrent from watching further. When the top players make an early exit at a tournament, the opportunity to create buzz for a rivalry matchup is lost.

On a positive note, the WTA Tour has another group of talented young women who have the potential to create the next great tennis rivalry. In my blog post, The Next Tennis Superstar, I mentioned three talented women who could make a major impact on the women’s tour. Two of the women I detailed, Sloane Stephens and Eugiene Bouchard, who possess the powerful games that could result in the two meeting for major titles in the future. Both of these players have big forehands, move extremely well, and love the big stage. It is only a matter of time before Stephens and Bouchard become top 10 players and are competing for major titles.

Tennis fans got a taste at this year’s Australian Open of what could develop into the next tennis rivalry. In a second round matchup, Sloane Stephens met the big serving Ajla Tomljanovic, a 20-year-old from Croatia. Both players displayed their large upsides, Stephens with her ability to transition from offense to defense, and Tomljanovic with her hard-hitting strokes. The match was a tight three-setter, with Stephens winning the final four games to take the final set 7-5. Stephens and Tomljanovic exhibited characteristics similar to the Evert/Navratilova rivalry. The American possesses a calm demeanor and great movement similar to Chris Evert; whereas the Croat possesses an imposing game similar to Martina Navratilova. The Stephens/Tomljanovic matchup is one that might develop into a rivalry. However, it will take consistency by both players for a rivalry to develop.

The WTA Tour is due for another great tennis rivalry. As a big supporter of women’s tennis, I believe having a rivalry between two superstars can only help the sport. Women’s tennis has so many talented players that are hindered by inconsistent play. If the players mentioned in this post could tightened up their games, and play more consistent tennis, the WTA Tour could have marque rivalries similar to the men’s tour.

Do you think the lack of a rivalry is hurting the women’s game? Which matchup do you think could develop into the next rivalry? Please let me know in the comments section below.

In my next blog, I am beginning a new blog series Buy, Sell, or Hold.

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