Women’s tennis is facing criticism for lacking excitement and intensity, especially after Iga Swiatek dominated Amanda Anisimova in the 2025 Wimbledon final—delivering a historic 6-0 6-0 win, the first double bagel in a final at the All England Club in 114 years. One of the sport’s former stars, Ana Ivanovic, has shared her perspective on what she believes the game is currently lacking.
The 2008 Roland Garros champion and former world No. 1 reflected on the contrast between her era and today’s landscape:
I think what’s missing most is rivalry. If we look back 10 to 15 years, there were so many top players at once— the Williams sisters, Sharapova, Wozniacki, Jelena [Jankovic], Kuznetsova… You always knew that starting from the quarterfinals, every single match would be phenomenal. Now, that’s a bit lacking. We often see players in semifinals and finals who are there for the first time. I believe that’s something this new generation needs to build in order for women’s tennis to regain the popularity it once had.
It’s worth noting that women’s tennis during that era also faced its share of criticism—there was frequent debate about “slamless No. 1s” and underwhelming Grand Slam finals, such as when Dinara Safina lost 6-0 6-3 to Serena Williams in the 2009 Australian Open final.
Do you think Ivanovic’s era was truly more exciting, or are we simply prone to glorifying the past?
