Pros: Dementieva's running forehand was unparalleled. In some places, including Russia, Olympic gold is even more valuable than a Grand Slam title. The apex of Dementieva's career occurred in the summer of 2008 at the Olympic Games in Beijing, where she won a grueling three-set, gold medal battle with Safina. In the three-year span ending with her retirement in 2010, Dementieva made five major semifinals and one quarterfinal in the 11 majors she entered. 1 Dinara Safina and former French Open champion Anastasia Myskina. With a more consistent serve, who knows what she could have accomplished."ĭementieva was part of a gifted generation of Russian players that also included former No. She created real power from the baseline and always looked like one of the fittest women on the tour. As ESPN analyst Patrick McEnroe said, "Dementieva was very strong but also incredibly quick. This 5-11 left-handed Russian was one of the top choices among our pundits. Grand Slams: French final, 2004 US Open final, 2004 three US Open semifinals, two Wimbledon semifinals one French and one Australian semifinalĬareer finals W-L: 16-16 Olympic singles gold medalist, 2008 I don't play the shots that are there but the shots that I feel." Had she not played in the long shadows cast by Margaret Court and King, Casals most likely would have won multiple singles Slam titles. Wrap: Casals once said: "I'm not a disciplined player. She was vulnerable to the lob, and as Adams said, "I'm certain that if Rosie had a couple more inches on her, she wouldn't have been passed so much at the net." It was a tremendous disadvantage for someone who insisted on playing risky, attacking tennis. She had an excellent kick serve, and her one-handed slice backhand volley was exceptional.Ĭons: She was 5-foot-2. Pros: Casals was one of the most creative of all players, willing to try any shot at any time, from anywhere on the court. That's significant, because Casals played at a time when all the top players took part in doubles. With 112 doubles titles, she trails only Martina Navratilova on the all-time list. She was 9-12 in Grand Slam doubles finals, all but one of those nine wins in partnership with Billie Jean King. "She was a serve-and-volleyer and could play from anywhere on the court."Ĭasals also was an exceptional doubles player. "Rosie was a small package in size, but she had the heart of a fierce lion in the way she competed," said Katrina Adams, a former doubles standout and recent president and CEO of the USTA. Those who saw "Rosebud" play still recall being blown away by the skills of the 5-foot-2 daughter of Salvadoran immigrants who learned the game from an uncle on the public courts of San Francisco. She also is a member of the International Tennis Hall of Fame. But Casals won numerous titles in a career that ended just six wins shy of the magic 600 number. Her singles record is woefully incomplete, so we won't guess at it. But Casals was a rarity, according to some of our experts. Sure, this goes way back in the Open era. Grand Slams: US Open finals 1970, 1971 Wimbledon semifinals, four times Australian Open semifinalsĬareer finals W-L: (incomplete record), won Tour Championships Active players are not included: Rosie Casals (1968-91) We've already looked at the ATP's contenders for that dubious "no-Slam wonders" title, so it's time to check out the WTA list ranked alphabetically. "In a different time, Isner might have won a Wimbledon by now and Dementieva could have won a hard-court major. "The Grand Slam champions in recent memory can win at every major, which means that there aren't a lot up for grabs," Carillo said. Tennis and Olympics commentator Mary Carillo dropped a valuable insight when she told that the decline in surface specialists - once a staple of the tours - seems to have had a significant impact on weeding out the ranks of champions. That quartet has been the driving force behind the addition of a slew of new contenders on that short list of "no-Slam wonders" (as opposed to those "one-Slam wonders"). The topic has become even more compelling in an era dominated by the ATP's Big Three and Serena Williams. The debate about the best player to never win a Grand Slam has added poignancy now that the French Open, originally slated to start this week, is postponed and Wimbledon has been canceled because of the coronavirus pandemic. The best WTA players never to win a Grand Slam singles championship
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