Best Seasons - Male And Female!

[Fiero425]

Before Federer, Nadal, & Djokovic, you could count the truly great seasons on one hand! You had Connors winning 3 of the 4 majors in '74, Rod Laver with his 2 Grand Slams ('62, '69), Borg's '78 winning The Old World Triple (Rome, Paris, Wmbldn), McEnroe who was almost unbeatable in '84, and the career Slam and Olympic Gold of Andre Agassi! Amazingly enough within the last 6 years, we've had career Grand Slams achieved by Federer and Nadal with Silver and Gold Olympic medals respectively and Djokovic taking 3 of 4 majors in 2011 along with several Masters events! Honorary mentions of Wilander's '88, Lendl's ('86-87), Sampras ('93-97) with multiple majors and WTF!

For the ladies, it's a little easier, but no less impressive with Margaret Smith Court winning the Grand Slam in '70, Golden Slam of Steffi Graf in '88, career Slams by King, Evert, Navratilova (6 majors in a row), Sharapova, and Serena Williams with Olympic Gold in singles and doubles(2)! This is all off the top of my head! Any additions you think should make it?

 

[kskate2]

IMO Steffi's 88 Golden Slam will go down in history. I believe it is the one record that will not be matched or broken.

 

[tented]

IMO Steffi's 88 Golden Slam will go down in history. I believe it is the one record that will not be matched or broken.

I agree, especially since you only get a shot at it once every four years anyway. Plus, it's an added tournament to an already busy schedule.

Think about it: You would need to have already won the AO, RG, and Wimbledon, before going who-knows-where to win the Gold, and then head to New York to win the USO. Amazing accomplishment.

 

[Fiero425]

IMO Steffi's 88 Golden Slam will go down in history. I believe it is the one record that will not be matched or broken.

I agree, especially since you only get a shot at it once every four years anyway. Plus, it's an added tournament to an already busy schedule.

Think about it: You would need to have already won the AO, RG, and Wimbledon, before going who-knows-where to win the Gold, and then head to New York to win the USO. Amazing accomplishment.

I guess I wasn't giving Steffi enough credit! Some of those matches were just unwatchable; esp. her 6–0, 6–0 beat down of Natasha Zvereva in about 32 min. at French Open final! She also had such a mental edge over Sabatini winning at USO and the Olympics!

 

[britbox]

Agreed, Steffi's 88 season tops the lot for the ladies.

I can't look beyond Laver's 69 Grand Slam for the men. Before my time, but it's the Holy Grail of Tennis.
Best I remember personally was Mac's 84 season. The French Open final being the main blemish.

 

[kskate2]

Fiero, I understand some of the matches may not have been as competitive as someone would like a slam final to be, but ultimately she could only play who was on the other side of the net. It's a great accomplishment. The only way it could be broken is if someone was able to win all 4 slams, Olympic in singles and then Olympic in doubs or mixed. There's not one player on either tour dominant and consistent enough to do it for Brazil. I just don't see it happening that's why I think her record is safe.

 

[tented]

The only way it could be broken is if someone was able to win all 4 slams, Olympic in singles and then Olympic in doubs or mixed.

Or also win the year-end championship, which Graf did not do in '88 (Sabatini won).

 

[kskate2]

By that time T, Steffi was probably ready to fall over.

 

[Fiero425]

By that time T, Steffi was probably ready to fall over.

I think Steffi was always vulnerable at the YEC even taking 5 sets to beat a 16 y.o. Hingis one year! If there was an upset to be had during Graf's best years, it was there; a fast indoor court! I forgot both Ivan Lendl and Martina Navratilova have a record that will be unmatched for all time, winning the respective YEC twice in '86! The Masters was in jan. for a while until they decided to move it to Nov. while the ladies' was initially in march and was also moved! I think Lendl beat Becker both times, while Martina knocked off Hana Mandlikova in 4 in march, then came back in nov. to defeat Graf in straights!

 

[El Dude]

A couple more that should be in the mix for ten greatest men's seasons:
1988 - Mats Wilander. He won 3 Slams during one of the most talent rich eras, with Edberg, Becker, and Lendl all in their primes, Connors and McEnroe still playing well, and Sampras, Agassi, and Courier knocking at the door

1963 - Ken Rosewall. He won all three Pro Slams, the only player to do so, including beating Laver twice.

I don't think either are the best, but both are a bit under-rated and should be in the mix for the ten greatest seasons ever.

If you want to go further back, you've got:

1956 - Pancho Gonzales
1938 - Don Budge

 

[Ricardo]

A couple more that should be in the mix for ten greatest men's seasons:
1988 - Mats Wilander. He won 3 Slams during one of the most talent rich eras, with Edberg, Becker, and Lendl all in their primes, Connors and McEnroe still playing well, and Sampras, Agassi, and Courier knocking at the door

1963 - Ken Rosewall. He won all three Pro Slams, the only player to do so, including beating Laver twice.

I don't think either are the best, but both are a bit under-rated and should be in the mix for the ten greatest seasons ever.

If you want to go further back, you've got:

1956 - Pancho Gonzales
1938 - Don Budge

Objectively speaking, Mac was not half the player he was in 1988. Also to put in Sampras, Agassi and Courier would be exaggerating their level as they didn't even come close to being great until 2 years later. I agree winning 3 majors a year deserves to be in the mix just for that alone, but a lot of those players you mentioned were not anywhere near their best level back then.

 

[Fiero425]

A couple more that should be in the mix for ten greatest men's seasons:
1988 - Mats Wilander. He won 3 Slams during one of the most talent rich eras, with Edberg, Becker, and Lendl all in their primes, Connors and McEnroe still playing well, and Sampras, Agassi, and Courier knocking at the door

1963 - Ken Rosewall. He won all three Pro Slams, the only player to do so, including beating Laver twice.

I don't think either are the best, but both are a bit under-rated and should be in the mix for the ten greatest seasons ever.

If you want to go further back, you've got:

1956 - Pancho Gonzales
1938 - Don Budge

Objectively speaking, Mac was not half the player he was in 1988. Also to put in Sampras, Agassi and Courier would be exaggerating their level as they didn't even come close to being great until 2 years later. I agree winning 3 majors a year deserves to be in the mix just for that alone, but a lot of those players you mentioned were not anywhere near their best level back then.

Terribly overrated for the time! Agassi made a name for himself more with what he was wearing! Sampras was anonymous besides his upsetting Wilander in the 2nd round of the USO in '89! Poor Matts was a mere shell of himself the following season winning 3 of 4 majors and the YEC going through Lendl at the height of his powers! I didn't know of Courier until upset his upset of Agassi in FO final in '91! Chang had been the only one to break through winning his lone slam; '89 FO over Edberg! The prominent men around that time for the US was still McEnroe and Connors with a sprinkling of 2nd tier players like Scott Davis, Tim Mayotte, Brad Gilbert, and maybe Mal Washington! (off the top of my head) :huh: :s :nono

 

[Didi]

Sorry if this is a bit off topic but 2005 is one of my favorite seasons in recent years and even more so because it was not dominated by a single player, the stories were rather equally spread. Sure Roger went something like 80-4 and was clearly the player of the year but you had Safin's and Hewitt's remarkable runs in Australia, Nadal's phenomenal rise, Agassi's fairytale summer, Nalbandian winning the YEC in one of the event's best ever finals, Roddick still in his prime, young Davydenko and Coria in the mix etc. Even though Roger was at the peak of his powers, there was still lots of uncertainty and dynamic. I admire the true greats of this sport for having dominant years but seasons like 2004, 2005, 2008 or 2009 with lots of different slam champions and new stars rising are the ones I remember the most in recent years.

 

[Fiero425]

Any change of thoughts?

 

[Fiero425]

Just getting this thread warmed up since Nole is obliterating the tour! IMO 2015 may overtake all his accomplishments in 2011 and make it a mere footnote! He still has walkabouts and allows his rivals to take him to 3 sets unnecessarily, but he punishes them for taking that set with a bagel or bread stick to munch on at the net's handshake! :clap :ras: :angel: :dodgy:

 

[Fiero425]

Any change of thoughts?

Well we have to acknowledge Nole's 2015 as the best Open seasonal record since Laver's Grand Slam of 1969! Djokovic pretty much owns The Masters, playing in all 8 finals he chose to play this year, winning 6 (a record), and added his 4th straight YEC (a record); 5 overall! Like Roger in his early days, he played in all 4 GS finals, winning 3; gives us 6 of those seasonal championship year with these last 3 GOAT's! Roger did it 3 times in the last decade, Nadal once in 2010, and now Nole completes his 2nd; the last one in '11! I believe he'll earn $20+ M this year as well for a dozen titles! :clap :angel: :dodgy::dodgy:

 

[Fiero425]

Federer has a chance this season with an AO and 2 Masters event wins so far! Wimbledon will tell it all!