User:Popsiclesare/Women's tennis rivalries

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

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The 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

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Dominance
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

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Dominance
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

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This 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

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Whilst 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

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