Overrated or Underrated: Jana Novotna and Gabriela Sabatini?

Question

Compare these 2 former players, and tell me if you believe they were overrated or underrated:

Jana, with a wealth of talent, had a serve and volley game that was among the best. Jana, a Wimbledon champion, played in 4 Slam finals. Overall, Jana won 24 singles titles and 76 doubles titles. Jana's highest singles ranking was #2, and she was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2005.

Sabatini, a talented player like Jana, never quite lived up to all the hype. Sabatini played in 3 Slam finals, winning just once. Sabatini won 27 singles titles and 12 doubles for her career. Sabatini's highest singles ranking was #3, and she was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2006.

When you compare their careers, Jana's is definately on par with Sabatini's. But Jana never received any of the media hype that Sabatini did. Therefore, I would vote Jana as underrated, and Sabatini as overrated.

Compare these two, and tell me who was overrated, and who was underrated?. And why?.

Answer 1

I think Sabatini and Novotna have both been rated fairly.  They both were extremely talented, and perhaps never completely fulfilled their potential, but I wouldn't call them overrated for that.  They just had the misfortune of playing during the era of Graf and Seles, who together pretty much dominated the women's game.  But Sabatini and Novotna both have a slam singles title and have been inducted into the Hall of Fame, so in no way were they ever underrated.

Answer 2

Both of those players' biggest difficulties came from their mental games. Jana blew that huge lead over Graf in the Wimbledon final one year and Sabatini lost many, many, many matches that she just didn't seem able to close out. I remember watching her play once, too, and she couldn't serve the ball at all. She would've been better to hit it underhand like Chang. However, that being said, they both had loads of natural talent and amazing potential, which is why I think they always stayed in many people's radars because everyone had some hope they would fully blossom. Jana had great hands and was a fantastic volleyer. Sabatini had great hands, too, and was able to spin shots beautifully and was just enjoyable to watch. I think Jana got quite a bit of hype, especially when she cried on the Dutchess' shoulder at Wimbledon after leading Graf, but, sadly, that made her memorable for not winning the Grand Slam. When she finally did, it was a great satisfaction, but still had a bit of a "good for her to fully do it" feeling. Sabatini, on the other hand, one a Slam early on and then just wasn't able to fully capitalize on the success, possibly because of all the pressure. She seemed to really have a hard time with the mental game more. I'm afraid Bartoli might do the same, but let's hope not. Also, Sabatini is beautiful, to the point that a rose was named after her, which is a pretty rare honor. I'm sure that factored in the media coverage of her, versus Jana's coverage. I don't think either were overrated. I think they pretty much got what they deserved.