Tennis Special Feature: Top Ten Most Intimidating Players in the History of the Open Era Part I
In the game of tennis, aside from natural talent few things matter as much as confidence. It is the key to many victories; when a player is successful at intimidating his opponent, the opponent in
turn will lose confidence and begin to falter. Swagger, confidence and intimidation are the main components of a successful tennis attitude, and it is what leads champions to win match after match and tournament after tournament, over and over again.
Some of the most intimidating players in the history of the sport have emerged during the Open Era of tennis. Let’s take a look at the top ten most daunting players of the Open Era, divided into five
parts in this feature.
10. Christine Marie “Chris” Evert
(United States)
This professional tennis player is, without a doubt, one of the finest athletes to ever grace the courts of tennis. She amassed a grand total of 18 Grand Slam singles titles, with
a record-breaking number of seven French Open victories and six US Open championships. Chris Evert’s win-loss record is the best found in the history of tennis, with 1309 victories against a mere 146 defeats. In addition to this, tennis writer Steve Flink
named her in the top three female tennis players of the 20th century in his book, The Greatest Tennis Matches of the Twentieth Century.
Evert was not only famous for her prowess on the court, but also for her killer attitude – leading commentators to name her Ice Maiden. She was one of the best, second only to legend
Martina Navratilova (also on this list). Like her ATP equivalent, Bjorn “Ice” Borg, she played defensively and countered every blow with one of her own. In addition to this, her competition against Navratilova was deadly enough to be as great as the feud between
John McEnroe and Borg. Chris Evert was a terror on the court. If she lost control, she would take it out on the ball – and her opponent.
9. John “McBrat” McEnroe
(United States)
Former World Number 1 John Patrick McEnroe is and will always be one of the unanimous bests in the world of tennis. The professional tennis player, who won seven Grand Slam titles
during his career, is regarded as one of the most threatening players to ever set foot on a tennis court. With his three Wimbledon titles and four US Open wins, nine Grand Slam men’s doubles titles and one mixed doubles title at the Majors, McEnroe gathered
a highly impressive repertoire of victories for himself. He also won 8 major indoor titles, and appeared in the finals of twelve such events (a record shared by Ivan Lendl).
He was impressive because of his exquisite volleys and the pure artistry of his shots. Many spectators have gone so far as to call the player’s style of playing “magic”. In addition to his success
as a player, McEnroe is most remembered for two things: his professional on-court vendettas with Lendl, Borg and Jimmy Connors, and the obnoxious behavior he exhibited during most of his matches. His confrontational attitude and tendency to be on the offensive
kept players scared – not just of his game, but also of his easily irritable temper. Often in trouble with umpires and authorities (he was once faulted by Tennis Australia for rudeness), he is also remembered for lines such as “You cannot be serious!” which
he yelled at a Wimbledon umpire in 1981, and for “Answer the question, jerk!” He is currently as successful as a commentator for tennis, where, he says, he gets paid for being obnoxious.
The next installment discusses two more intimidating players, with a total of eight left to go.
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