How will the top 10 look like in 5 years?

LifeWasADisaster · Dec 27, 2001

This is my prediction (based on nothing but still fun):

Davenport and Seles have both retired in 2004. Davenport has a career total of 5 grand slams and Seles of 10. Capriati struggles to make a comeback as a 30 year old after a tumble in the rankings following a burnout in 2004. Hingis came back to the #1 position early 2003 after seriously altering her game. The last 5 years have been dominated by Venus, Serena, Clijsters and Hingis, with Venus and Hingis claiming the most Grand Slam victories. Newcomers to the top are Dinara Safina, Daniela Hantuchova, Iroda Tulyaganova and Daja Bedanova. Kournikova won quite a few titles here and there but failed to go all the way on a grand slam. Her best was a final appearance at wimbledon 2004, where she was wiped away by Venus. Dokic and Mauresmo each fell out of the Top 10 late 2004 and struggle coming back. The Top 10:

1. Martina Hingis (after trading places with Venus about 20 times) 2. Venus Williams 3. Kim Clijsters 4. Daniela Hantuchova 5. Serena Williams 6. Dinara Safina 7. Iroda Tulyaganova 8. Justine Henin 9. Daja Bedanova 10. Anna Kournikova

18. Jelena Dokic 25. Amelie Mauresmo 47. Jennifer Capriati

Monica_Rules · Dec 27, 2001

Interesting!

Nacho · Dec 27, 2001

omg, I don't like that top 10 at all! lol

Verve · Dec 27, 2001

I think Justine and especially Amélie and Jelena will be a lot higher.

I don't think Iroda will ever be ranked as high as that. For the rest... it looks empty you know! <img src="smile.gif" border="0">

Kart · Dec 27, 2001

If your predictions are anywhere near the truth I might just avoid watching tennis altogether in 2004 !

Sonja · Dec 27, 2001

nods head and agrees wholeheartedly with Kart!

Goolagong · Dec 27, 2001

1. Capriati 2. Clijsters 3. Henin 4. Venus 5. Mauresmo 6. Dokic 7. Henin 8. Serena 9. Hingis 10.Majoli

Capriati continues her winning ways deep into the first decade of the 21st century by staying fit, focused and fabulous. Venus and Serena only play 4 tourneys per year. Venus plays Wimbledon and Lipton and Serena plays the US and Canadian Opens due to their hectic fashionista schedules. Serena is also a big hit on broadway starring in the new musical version of the Crying Game with Aaron Carter. Hingis gets by from winning Doha each year cause nobody else shows up but a retired sandrine testud. Majoli fufills her97 promise when she gets off the sauce and quits disco dancing the nigth away as Seles takes over as Iva's new fitness coach.

Nacho · Dec 27, 2001

omg Goolagong LOL! Hingis just winning Doha every year <img src="redface.gif" border="0"> <img src="biggrin.gif" border="0"> <img src="biggrin.gif" border="0"> good one!

martinafan · Dec 27, 2001

I personally liked Seles as a fitness coach! LOL

And venus and serena playing 4 tournaments and both being in top 10!

Becool · Dec 28, 2001

I don't think Daniela will be in front of Serena.....

I like Iroda in top 10!!!! Go Iroda <img src="biggrin.gif" border="0">

TheBoiledEgg · Dec 28, 2001

If thats the situation in 5 years then the whole Tour would be a disaster.

2-3 players that haven't got a WTA rank will be in the Top 10 in 5 years.

3-4 of them now will be retired or also rans.

DavenFan · Dec 28, 2001

TOP 5: 2002

1. Davenport 2. Venus 3. Martina 4. Serena 5. Kim

TOP 5: 2003 1. Venus 2. Davenport 3. Serena 4. Kim 5. Martina

TOP5: 2004 1. Venus 2. KIM 3. Davenport 4. Serena 5. Justine

TOP 5: 2005

1. KIM 2. Serena 3. Martina 4. Venus 5. Justine

TOP 5: 2006

Lindsay retires.

1. KIM 2. Justine 3. Meghann 4. Martina 5. Serena

Brαm · Dec 28, 2001

1. Venus 2. Serena 3. Kim 4. Justine 5. Martina 6. Jelena 7. Amélie 8. Meghann 9. Daniela 10.Iroda

gmt · Dec 28, 2001

Goolagong, do you mean that Justine has a younger sister? (Or a clone? <img src="wink.gif" border="0"> )

thefreedesigner · Dec 28, 2001

LOL @ griffin. I was thinking the exact same thing!

I think it's way too hard to predict.

Jennifer will be 30 or so, so will Lindsay. Lindsay has said she won't have the appetite to be content being the #10 ranked player, or the #20 ranked player, so she'll be gone by then.

If she wins 2 more slams in the next 2 years I reckon she'll be gone anyway.

Seles obviously won't be there.

I don't know, the 'shelf life' of female tennis players, on the whole, is looking like it's getting shorter.

Yes, you will have Tauziat and Farina Elia and Coetzer, but this is going to happen less and less for the elite players. There bodies won't be able to take 10 years of the Tour, the way it is now. Anke Huber is 26 for Chrisssakes and she'd had enough. We may see this happening more, particularly as the conveyor belt shovelling in new talent will be moving faster and faster.

If she's still wanting it Serena Williams will be around. Kim and Justine I also think will be. If Venus is as susceptible to illness as she appears to be, she may have quit already.

As for the rest... who knows?

LifeWasADisaster · Dec 28, 2001

Why does everyone dislike my predicted top 10? Is it because the high amount of -ova's? I'm not russian but I just think these girls have potential. Who else should be in the top 10 in 5 years then??

turt · Dec 28, 2001

I think that 2 or 3 players who are just 12 ou 13 year old today will be in the top10 in 5 years!

veryborednow · Dec 28, 2001

I prefer Goolagong's prediction <img src="smile.gif" border="0">

Robbie. · Dec 28, 2001

I like goolagongs better too, but the chances that 9 of the courrent top 10 will still be there in 5 years time is almost zero. Take the top 10 from 1996

1. Graf 2. Seles 2.Sanchez Vicario 3. Novotna 4. Hingis 5. Martinez 6. Huber 7. Majoli 8. Date 9. Davenport 10.Paulus

2001; 1. Davenport 2. Williams 3. Capriati 4. Hingis 5. Clijsters 6. Williams 7. Henin 8. Dokic 9. Mauresmo 10. Seles

ONLY THREE TOP ten players survive from 1996 (Seles, Davenport, Hingis)

In 1996 we had never heard of Dokic, CLijsters, Henin and the Williams Sisters and Mauresmo (if you followed juniors) were quite obscure as well.

It is very difficlut to predict, but i say Lifewasadisaster's is more accurate.

irma · Dec 28, 2001

In 2004 Michaela Krajicek will crack the top 10 <img src="smile.gif" border="0">