By Chris Oddo | @TheFanChild | Tuesday December 10, 2019
2019 doesn’t simply mark the end of the tennis year. It also marks the end of a TENNIS DECADE! Wow, where does the time go? So. Much. Has. Happened since we rung in the 2010s – I mean think about it… when the decade began, Bianca Andreescu was nine years old!
Also See: The 10 Most Pivotal Moments of the ATP Decade that Was
You’ll find that our Top 10 WTA moments of the decade list includes plenty of incredible moments but please keep in mind that so many epic moments have gone down in the last 10 years—we couldn’t possibly come close to including them all!
We did our best to narrow it down and it’s more than okay if you disagree. We want to hear from you about the moments you want on the list. Let’s all have a good time and celebrate this INCREDIBLE decade of tennis. And now on to the list…
SERENA Williams 23rd Major Title
Say what you will about Serena Williams’ inability to catch Margaret Court’s all-time major singles title record. 24 is a thorn in her side right now, but we think she’s going to get there. Nevertheless, when Serena Williams passed Steffi Graf on the all-time major singles OPEN ERA major titles list in January of 2017 it represented what we all knew and believed even before Williams claimed the 2017 Aussie Open crown—she’s the GOAT.
And, if you are scoring at home. Serena also became the oldest women's singles major title winner with the win over he sister in the first all-Williams Grand Slam final since 2009 (also the oldest women's singles Grand Slam final ever in terms of combined age).
Andreescu Wins USOPEN on debut in 2019
Winning the US Open on main draw debut? Well that is just too far-fetched to believe. Nobody had ever done it before but this year in New York Bianca Andreescu got it done like a boss. The Canadian’s rise in 2019 and stunning title run in New York is one of the most remarkable moments of the tennis decade for sure.
Osaka Reaches No.1
By winning the 2019 Australian Open title Naomi Osaka didn’t just become the second Asian player to claim two major titles. She also became the first Asian-born player—male or female—to claim the WTA’s No.1 ranking. An historical achievement for Osaka, and likely just the beginning of a storied career that will include many more iconic milestones.
Sharapova drug ban Rocks tennis
Maria Sharapova won two Roland Garros titles in the decade and increased her Grand Slam title count to five, but the biggest story of the decade from the Russian, unfortunately, came off the court when in 2016 she was hit with a 15-month drug ban that rocked the sport to its core. Four years later we are still waiting for the legendary Russian to reclaim her best form on the court.
Li Na Roland Garros title 2011
The ultimate tennis trailblazer Li Na became Asia’s first ever Grand Slam winner in Paris in 2011 when she defeated Francesca Schiavone for the title. Think it was a big deal? The match was watched by 330 million viewers worldwide.
Kerber Wins Australian Open in 2016
Angelique Kerber was one of the top players of the decade and the ball officially got rolling for the German when she knocked off Serena Williams in the 2016 Australian Open final. The match also appears to have been significant for Serena Williams as it snapped her eight match winning streak in Grand Slam finals—Williams has lost six of eight major finals since.
Halep Wins First Major in Paris
Finally! Simona Halep was seen as a great player that couldn’t play great when it mattered most until 2018 when she stormed back from a set and break down to claim the Roland Garros title, jettisoning the monkey from her back and creating what was perhaps the emotional high point of the decade for women’s tennis.
Serena Williams’ Pregnancy
Serena Williams won the 2017 Australian Open 20 weeks pregnant. Now that is just insane and it reminds us of what type of superwoman the 23-time major champion is, was and always will be. Williams’ pregnancy and the birth of her daughter Olympia makes our decade list and the repercussions are still being felt today. Williams has still not won a title since January of 2017 and the door has opened for many players to step up to the Grand Slam podium.
The Czech Fed Cup Juggernaut
Fed Cup format will be changing in 2020, and that makes now an even more perfect time to celebrate a brilliant decade of international tennis for the Czech Republic. Led by Petra Kvitova, who also claimed two Wimbledon titles in the decade, this band of talented players won six titles in an eight-year span. Not since the vaunted Americans won seven straight Fed Cup titles in the 70’s has the Fed Cup been dominated as impressively.
Pennetta and Vinci Play All-Italian US Open Final
It was supposed to be about Serena Williams and the calendar Slam in New York in 2015, but Roberta Vinci stole the show and stopped the Great Americans’ run of Grand Slam victories at 33 in the semifinals. Then it was about Italian tennis in all its glory as Flavia Pennetta defeated Roberta Vinci in the final and then promptly announced her retirement after the match. Gosh, if only Hollywood could write scripts like this.