Are female tennis players skilled compared to their male compatriots?

Question

How well Do you think Justine Henin or any other top female tennis player playing in their prime would fare against Roger Federer? Or which female tennis players do you think could be in the top 20 in the men's ranking ?

Answer 1

Pound for pound, Henin is right up there with a lot of the top male players.  Obviously they would beat her every time in an actual match because men are physically stronger than women generally, but if you equalized their physical strength, and compared only their tennis skills, then Henin would be competitive with most of the men.  Against Federer probably not as much, but then again most of the male players aren't competitive with him either.

Answer 2

its hard to say..... what one has to realize is the mens game has alot more power and speed.. faster points.. bigger shots, more athletisim..

does not mean the top women do not have a high technical leveal..womens tennis has come a long way with the power and shot selection....   but they surely cannot compete with the power of the men.. and they would also admit that

Answer 3

I think you mean "Counterparts", unless you mean male & females from the same country.

This was a hot topic in he 80's when loud-mouth McEnroe declared "No woman could break the men's top 100."

I have to agree w/ him in that no woman (according for example) to  the Wimbledon seeds could crack the mens's  top twenty.  Certainly none of the current female top seeds could take a set off Federer.  This is not to say that women cannot compete on even terms w/ men, merely that the structure of tennis is male-oriented.

DB, there was a match along time ago between Bobby Riggs and Billie Jean King  (best of 3 sets) @ the Houston (TX) Astrodome.  

The popular opinion was that Riggs (though 20 years older)

would crush King. I don't know if you were alive then?  The result:  King in straight sets.

Answer 4

sorry DB, there is no way any top female players can compete in men's game. i wish i can prove to you but no sponsor or players agree to have another "the battle of sexes" match.

i sincerely doubt if the female player can even get a game or two if the match is played in regular format and each player tries their best, not a dink-around exhibition, seriously.

Answer 5

Well only if the girl is has some skill, but naaa I know many decent girls who play a high level of tennis, but I'd say Girls would lose against boys.

No chance girls,

If this one girl just heard what i said she would get mad though.

Answer 6

I somehow think that the guys have it easy, idk why though. but i think that if they played each other (female vs. male) then the females would dominate simply because that the guys would not be used to it. for the females, they would just go at it with their best, while the males may have more power, they would still lose because they arent comfortable. they wouldnt be comfortable because they arent used to it and they wouldnt know how hard to serve or hit since they wont know whats going to come back at them. yes, Justine Henin could take out Federer, and then she could probably take Rafa.

Answer 7

I definetely think Venus and Serena can beat nikolay davydenko or david ferer.

Answer 8

Id say Serena has more muscles than Rafa ! haha

Answer 9

Gotta agree with the first guy above me. I think that the women's game is tough and a high level of skill is required but you cannot compare it to a men's game. For a start, the endurance. women simply would not be able to play five sets. even the greatest players like Pete SAmpras and Federer and Nadal find it hard. Secondly, the power in a men's game is much, much higher than that in a women's game. Everything from the serve to the forehand and the volleys is hit harder.

Overall, i think Justin Henin wouldn't stand a huge chance against Federer and definitely not against someone as ferocious as Nadal.

They should also, for the simple fact that they do not play as much tennis as men in one game, not be paid the same amount. It makes no sense at all.

Answer 10

The number 20 male tennis player in the world would beat the number 1 female player in the world any day.  Think back to Billie Jean King...she was the best in the world, and yes, she beat some nobody tennis player.  But in today's day and age, the men are faster, stronger, more agile, more skilled in every way when it comes to tennis.  They even play five sets - the women only play three.  There is no comparison.  So far as the most manly woman in tennis, that'd have to be Serena!

Answer 11

Well... obviously some men are stronger than women. I think that some of the top ten women could beat Ferrer and Davydenko. Serena could crush some men. Justine Henin could probably get games off of Fed.