Decade Retrospective: The Top 10 Players of the 2010s

Tennis Tea's Top 10 WTA Players of the 2010s

10. Agnieszka Radwanska

Including a “slamless” player on a “Best of the Decade” list might seem bizarre, but hear me out: Slams are important, but so too is the ability to consistently deliver strong results over a long stretch of time. This is something that only a handful of players have been able to do more so than Agnieszka Radwanska. “The Magician” finished six years in the top 10, and amassed 16 titles (including a WTA Finals Title and five Tier 1 victories). It’s worth noting of course, that she also had one of the most unique games among top players in recent tennis history, relying more on anticipation, court craft, and uncanny shotmaking than power. Think of Radwanska as that frustrating pusher you always lose to… if that frustrating pusher could also hit tweeners. 

And also do this.

Of course, this style of play also cost her a coveted major title. For as crafty as she was, she lacked the weapons and arguably, the mentality, to go all the way during the business end of slams. It seemed whenever she was on the cusp of a breakthrough (see: Wimbledon 2013 or the Australian Open in 2014) she was outhit by a player will better artillery and more will to win. Still, the retired Pole can console herself with the knowledge that she’s won WTA Shot of The Year five times and, inexplicably, was voted the tour’s “Fan Favorite” for six years in a row.

We know one person who did not vote for her.

9. Kim Clijsters/Naomi Osaka

Yes, these women are two very different players at two very different stages of their careers. But look more closely at their 2010s resumes and you'll see some noticeable similarities. Both won two Grand Slams in this decade-- the US Open and the Australian Open. Both were ranked number one. Both were only or have only been relevant for two years...albeit for different reasons. Admittedly any similarities between the two end here.

Kim Clijsters undoubtedly would have ended up higher on this list had she not decided to retire for a second time at the end of 2012. Very few of the current crop of top players can match her ball striking ability ,and even though her athleticism this decade wasn’t quite what it was in the 2000s, you won’t see too many on tour these days attempting those splits. Had Clijsters stayed on the tour for longer, it would have been interesting to see what kind of rivalry she would have developed with Serena Williams. Alas, the Belgian’s injury-prone body couldn’t seem to withstand the demands of the tour during her second go-round. 

But she may have more in her yet. In a move Karolina Pliskova finds confusing, Clijsters announced this fall that she’s returning to the tour in 2020...thought it appears she has already managed to injure herself without playing a single event. 

While Clijsters' (second) career ended in the 2010s, Naomi Osaka's emerged in a big way. There is an unfair rush to compare every black player to Serena Williams, but the parallels between Williams and Osaka are quite striking. 

When on, they both play with the same difficult-to-beat mix of power and margin. Osaka's incredible shot-making skill and ability to find  booming serves right when she needs them is also reminiscent of the American. 

When Naomi beat her idol at the 2018 US Open and then followed the win up with a victory at the 2019 Australian Open, it looked like the future of tennis had arrived. But Naomi is a interesting character full of contradictions as she at once thrives and buckles under the spotlight. After ascending to number one, she spent most of 2019 struggling to find consistency and seeming to falter under expectation. She ended the year on a high though, winning back to back tournaments. If she is able to find confidence and consistency then she might just make the decade to come her own

. 

8.Na Li

Is Na Li one of the biggest overachievers or underachievers of the decade?. If you’re argue for the former, then you’d point out how impressive it is that a woman who left tennis in her early 20s to study and play badminton was able to come back and achieve the heights she did. But if you’re inclined to believe the latter, you’d argue that someone with such powerful, heavy, and early ball striking could have achieved even more. What is clear is that Li made her mark this decade: she not only won 2 Grand Slams, but she reached a career high of number 2 in 2014. If her total title haul seems meager for someone of her talents, you can chalk that up to the inconsistent and one-dimensional nature of her game, and also her relatively “early” retirement.

What’s also clear is that Li was a trailblazer. As the first Asian person to win a singles Grand Slam, Li Na can be credited with mobilizing the tour’s shift to China and was, for a time, one of the most bankable women in all of sports. She might not have as many titles as some of the people she’s ranked above, but she capitalized on her opportunities and had almost as big an impact as almost anyone in tennis during this decade. Plus, who has ever given better on-court interviews. 

7.Caroline Wozniacki 

In the pantheon of slamless number ones, perhaps none have been as maligned by tennis fans as Caroline Wozniacki. And in truth, much of this stems from her brand of tennis: far from inspiring, the Dane has earned her living by playing a doggedly defensive brand of tennis, complemented by her considerable athleticism, anticipation, and precise down-the-line backhand. Regardless, Wozniacki maximized her game during the first two years of the decade, racking up 12 titles and finishing both years as the number one player in the world. 

But as consistent as her tennis is at its best, Wozniacki’s decade is weirdly full of ups-and-downs. After  strong seasons in 2010 and 2011, Wozniacki was pretty unremarkable for the next two years before surging again in 2014 by making the US Open final. She then once again dipped in 2015 and 2016, at one point dropping out of the top 50... before the pendulum then swung again for her in 2017. Playing the most assertive tennis of her career, Wozniacki won the WTA Finals in 2017, and followed it up by finally winning her first Grand Slam in Australia the following January. 

It appears that after winning a Slam and getting married Wozniacki’s interest in tennis has waned, and it came as a surprise to no one when she announced this upcoming Australian Open would be her last. It’s unlikely the Dane will ever be in the  Grand Slam winner’s circle again, but she deserves respect for amassing one of the decade’s most impressive resumes.

Less impressive: her brief foray into electropop. 

6. Angelique Kerber

It was quite a surprise when then little-known Angelique Kerber made a run to the semifinals at the 2011 US Open. And for a brief moment, it appeared that this out-of-nowhere result would be like so many other out-of-nowhere results this decade: a flash in the pan never to be duplicated again. But the late-blooming German happened to have something few others did: unmatchable defense that could give even the most in-form player fits. With her scintillating ability to turn defense into offense, Kerber went on to have a banner 2012, making the semifinals of Wimbledon, getting notable scalps over Serena Williams, Maria Sharapova, and Kim Clijsters, and finishing the year in the top 5.

What followed for Kerber were three years in the lower half of the top 10 with a small smattering of titles. Though just when it looked like the scrappy German was destined to become a solid if not spectacular player, 2016 happened. With dazzling defense and dizzying drop shots, Kerber upset Serena Williams to win the Australian Open in one of the best matches of the decade. She then followed it up by making the finals of Wimbledon, before winning the US Open to end the year the number one ranked player in the world.

For all of her talent though, Kerber works best as a underdog-- a scrappy fighter who flies under the radar to beat opponents that she “shouldn’t.” When the pressure and expectation of being a favorite are on her however, she can buckle, and her essentially defensive game can be exposed by someone who is both aggressive and consistent.  This became quite clear in 2017, a year in which Kerber not only failed to defend her titles from 2016, but found herself struggling to even win matches. This pattern of “great year, bad year” continued in 2018 and 2019: while in the former she won her third Grand Slam at Wimbledon, the later saw her once again go title-less. The German is far from her best form now, but who knows? Should her yearly patterns continue, perhaps 2020 will the see the reemergence of a feisty, motivated version of Kerber once again.

If not we'll see a lot more of these kind of handshakes.

5. Victoria Azarenka

Controversial Opinion #1: at first glance, there isn’t anything particularly striking about Victoria Azarenka’s game. Sure, she has good timing, and yes, she can redirect her backhand down-the-line with pinpoint accuracy...but so can many women on the tour. 

Take a closer look though and you’ll see what makes the fiery Belorussian so special. You’ll see her ability to construct a point, and maneuver the ball around the court.  You’ll see her transition game and ability to finish even trickiest volleys competently. You’ll see how her quick reflexes allow her to return even Serena’s fastest serves back at her feet. 

Azarenka at her peak was the tour’s best power grinder, and during the first half of the decade she was the only number one outside of Serena this decade to actually seem like a, well, number one. 

Azarenka’s rise was more traditional than many of the meteoric rises we’ve seen this decade in that it definitely didn’t come out of nowhere. After having strong seasons from 2009-2011, she finally won her first slam at the 2012 Australian Open, dismantling Sharapova in the final. She then went on to have a 26-match win streak, and it looked for a time that the next big thing had arrived.

Of course, Serena Williams had other plans, and although Azarenka was able to get some nice wins over the American, she was never able to  defeat her on the Grand Slam stage. With injuries her consistency petered out a bit, but then in 2016 she became the only player this decade to win the Sunshine Double, and it seemed her 2012-2013 form was returning.

Then she got pregnant. This in itself was a welcome surprise for Vika, but what was less welcome was the baby daddy drama which prevented her from playing a full schedule even when she was ready to play again post pregnancy. 

(Semi)Controversial Opinion #2: Had Vika’s career not had been interrupted, she would have been second to only Serena this decade. But even with her custody woes resolved, in the Azarenka hasn’t been able to find anything resembling the form that took her to the top, even as her contemporaries (Halep, Kvitova, to a lesser extent Wozniacki) have been able to find consistency.Ending this new decade at 30 years old, these coming years will provide an interesting test for Azarenka who's already pulled out of the Australian Open for personal reasons. Time will tell if she still has the tennis in her to rise to the occasion.

4.Petra Kvitova

In a weird way, Petra Kvitova’s  game mirrors the ebbs and flows of this decade for women’s tennis. 

At its peak, it’s breathtaking-- the kind of tennis that elicits audible gasps. 

At it’s worse though, you’d be smart to duck for cover.

But for as inconsistent as the big-hitting Czech can be within a single match, a look at her record across the decade reveals the kind of consistency that has made her one of the best of her generation. In addition to her two Wimbledon wins, Kvitova is second to only Serena in terms of titles won over the decade.

You got the sense watching Kvitova this decade that more should have been accomplished. Her dynamic ball-striking, when in full flight, is second to perhaps no one. Check out how she so effortlessly destroyed Eugenie Bouchard in the 2014 Wimbledon final for an example of her brilliance. Or watch this video of her screaming after hitting dazzling winners. You’ll be hearing her signature “Pokjd!” in your dreams.

Or maybe in your nightmares

But one has to cut her some slack. Her career after all was almost ended by a knife wielding maniac who repeatedly stabbed her in the hand during a home-robbery attempt.Could there be any worse injury for a tennis player to sustain? In coming back however, Kvitova has exhibited the same fighting spirit and mental fortitude that she has also shown on court, clawing her way back into the top 5 and essentially picking up where she left off. The verdict is still out on whether or not Kvitova has yet another gear or if she’s maxed out her potential. But it would far from surprising to see her blast her way to a slam title once again.

3.Maria Sharapova

Let’s just get this out of the way now: Meldonium. Yes, the Siberian Siren’s year-long doping suspension in 2017 was a bombshell and, for some, has casted doubt on the validity of Sharapova’s many achievements 

But let’s ignore that for a second.

Sharapova entered the decade struggling to find the form that had made her such a consistent force during the second half of the noughts. Before seriously injuring her shoulder, commentators couldn’t gush enough about her on-court composure, formidable serve, and “perfect” technique. But Post-Surgery Maria Sharapova was different. Double-faults became more common in her game than aces, and her groundstrokes were far more awkward and far less accurate, making her constantly vulnerable to upset.

Like her rival Serena Williams however, Sharapova retooled her game. In a twist almost as surprising as her inability to check emails, the former self-described “cow on ice” on clay transformed into something of a clay court specialist. The slow red dirt gave Sharapova time to take huge cuts at the ball, and her improved defensive abilities helped her power-grind her way out of even the toughest matches. This new found penchant for clay helped her become arguably the best clay-court player of the decade, as she won two French Open titles, and a slew of other prestigious events on the surface. Her accomplishments weren’t just limited to clay however: Masha won big titles on hard courts and made it to three other Grand slam finals outside of Roland Garros.

How much credit should we give that now infamous Latvian drug for Maria’s success this decade? Really, it’s quite hard to say. One the one hand, Meldonium is known to improve players’ endurance and indeed, Sharapova was known for her ability to grind out long matches, at one point having the best three set record on tour. On the other hand, Meldonium wasn’t on the banned substance list for most of Sharapova’s career which calls into question how truly advantageous it is….kind of. 

Regardless of where you stand on the issue, one thing that’s certain is that Sharapova spent a good portion of the decade being one of the top three players on tour. Her combination of hard, flat hitting and determination meant that when in full flight, she was second to almost no one.

I said almost no one.

2.Simona Halep

Despite once being the world’s top ranked junior, Simona Halep’s greatest claim to fame prior to 2013 was her very public decision to get a breast reduction. Her results were good, but not stellar. Her game was solid, but not awe-inspiring. As she acknowledged in typically modest fashion before her fourth round match this year at Roland Garros, she wasn’t exactly  the kind of buzzy and glamorous up-and-comer getting put on show courts. Then, seemingly out of nowhere, Halep broke through at the 2013 Italian Open, beating three top 20 players en route to the semifinals. Thus emerged one of the most steady and yet emotionally-turbulent players of the decade. 

Halep’s incredible defense, fleet footwork, and down-the-line drives helped her rack up titles and ascend to the very top of the game. However, for as remarkable as her rise was, there was the lingering concern that the shy and emotional Romanian just didn’t have the heart of a champion. After losing in the quarterfinals of the 2015 Australian Open, Halep drew the ire of some tennis fans for saying that merely making the quarterfinals was “enough.” This seeming complacency, coupled with her penchant for giving up on matches and choking on big occasions made it seem as though Halep was destined to join the list of slamless number ones--consistent  enough to get the computer ranking, but not good enough to not be an eternal bridesmaid. 

Even Daddy Darren had enough with her at one point...or at various points

But in the past two years, the Romanian has silenced her detractors by finally breaking the Grand Slam bubble. Twice. Most notably this year by giving her best performance ever to beat Serena Williams 6-2, 6-2 in the Wimbledon final. Here her game was in full flight, her defense at times eliciting gasps from the crowd, and frustrating Serena into careless errors. 

Halep has certainly had her lows since breaking out 6 years ago, but she somehow always seems to find her form again. She has the most top 5 finishes of any player this decade, and at “only” 28 there is a chance for Halapeño to continue to spice things up.

 That also means potentially hearing Romanian fans screaming “SI-MO-NA” for ten more years. Ugh.

1.Serena Williams

There is literally nothing that can be written about Serena’s greatness that hasn’t already been written somewhere else.

But meh, I’ll try. 

Although there had been talk of Serena being the best ever even before her Slam count had reached the double digits, this has been the decade to truly catapult her to the forefront of the GOAT conversation. But for a decade that has been marked by consistency for the American, it definitely had a topsy-turvy and uncertain start. Coming into the 2010s, Serena had already amassed 10 Grand Slams, and was solidly ranked number 1, before she decided to wear thin slippers at a German bar and cut up her foot.

At this point we know the story. The mysterious foot injury injury led to a pulmonary embolism which almost took the Serena’s life. When she finally returned to court a year later, it was unclear what version of Serena we were going to see.

What was clear however, was that her game was in transition. Yes, Patrick Mouratoglou played a role in helping to shape her post-embolism game. But even before him, she was starting to hit her shots with more topspin, and showed more determination to get her feet in position to rip the ball early.  When all the adjustments in her game started to finally click culminating in her 2012 Wimbledon victory, tennis history was rewritten. With her new and improved  brand of tennis (call it Serena 3.0), coupled with the inconsistencies of the top women and the lack of true, obvious rival for her talents, Serena went on to win 12 more Grand Slams and add 37 more titles to her already impressive haul. Never before has Serena been as consistent as she’s been during this decade, and If you need evidence of this, just consider the fact that she’s has made at least one Grand Slam final every year since the decade began-- a stat not even Nadal, Federer, or Djokovic were able to match.

Williams has ended the decade in a weird position though. Post-pregnancy, her famed mental fortitude has completely evaporated on the biggest stages, leading to dramatic meltdowns, and some very one-sided loses. Still, it’s a testament to her pure talent and hard-work that she, a nearly 40-year-old woman who no longer plays anything resembling a full schedule, has been able to make 4 Grand Slam finals since coming back from a near life-threatening pregnancy complications. 

Will Serena break Margaret Court’s record before calling it a career? Ultimately, it doesn’t matter. With renewed focus and dedication, Serena has spent this decade solidifying her place as one of the most iconic athletes of all time. And that’s enough.