In tennis history, there have been a number of famous group rivalries where three or four women have dominated in terms of rankings and tournament victories. Many of these rivalries have come in different waves, such as the 'Big Four' of women's tennis who have been dominant through the 2010s.
Big Four
editThe Big Four consisting of Serena Williams, Victoria Azarenka, Maria Sharapova, and Li Na [1][2] have largely dominated women's tennis since 2011, with each woman having won at least 2 Grand Slam titles. Combined, the four players have won 9/13 (69%) of the Grand Slams, 9/14 (64%) of Premier Mandatory tournaments and 10/16 (63%) of Premier 5 events, the major events in the WTA Tour. Also, they have also won 2/3 (67%) of the WTA Tour Championships and took out all the medals in the 2012 Olympic Games.
Combined Grand Slam tournament singles performance timeline
editDominance | |||||
Tournament | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | SR |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Grand Slam tournaments | |||||
Australian Open | FL | WA | WA | WL | 3 / 4 |
French Open | WL | WS | WW | TBD | 3 / 3 |
Wimbledon | FS | WW | QFL | TBD | 1 / 3 |
US Open | FW | WW | WW | TBD | 2 / 3 |
Combined Premier Mandatory/5 singles performance timeline
editDominance | |||||
Tournament | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | SR |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Premier Mandatory | |||||
Indian Wells | SFS | WA | WS | SFL | 2 / 4 |
Miami | WA | FS | WW | WW | 3 / 4 |
Madrid | FA | WW | WW | TBD | 2 / 3 |
Beijing | 3RW | WA | WW | TBD | 2 / 3 |
Premier 5 | |||||
Dubai (2011) Doha (2012-14) |
3RA | WA | WA | 3RL | 2 / 4 |
Rome | WS | WS | WW | TBD | 3 / 3 |
Toronto/Montreal | WW | FL | WW | TBD | 2 / 3 |
Tokyo (2011-13) Wuhan (2014) |
SFA | QFAS | 2RA | TBD | 0 / 3 |
Income
editThis income ($US), in millions, includes prize money, endorsements and sponsorships.
Dominance | |||||
Player | 2010-11 | 2011-12 | 2012-13 | 2013-14 | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Serena Williams | 20.5 | TBD | |||
Maria Sharapova | 29 | TBD | |||
Victoria Azarenka | 15.7 | TBD | |||
Li Na | 18.2 | TBD |
Status
editWhilst Agnieszka Radwanska may have been considered part of the 'Big Four' by holding a top 4 ranking for the majority of the 2010s, she has never won a grand slam, or earnt as much in sponsorships and prize money compared to the other four women. [3][4][5]
References
edit- ^ http://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/tennis/worlds-topranked-women-tennis-players-matching-men-for-income/story-fn791xvz-1226799749947
- ^ http://www.wtatennis.com/news/article/3778280
- ^ http://www.wtatennis.com/news/article/3199450/title/stats-corner-the-wtas-big-four
- ^ http://sports.yahoo.com/news/big-four-forming-womens-tennis-tour-fans-212200001--tennis.html
- ^ http://www.nj.com/times-sports/index.ssf/2014/01/loprinzi_are_there_any_threats.html