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?
I don’t think we’re prone to glorifying the past as much as we’re prone to misogyny.
My fav was Maria Sharapova, and even since she retired, there’s no one that has replaced her for me. But yeah, I miss her era, with Justine and Kim, and Serena and Venus, and a lot of top Russian players, I even miss Elena Dementieva double numbers of double faults 😀
Women’s tennis today feels… flat. Uniform. Robotic. Players hit harder, move faster, and wear the same logo-stamped outfits like soldiers in a system. The individuality is fading. The charisma is missing. Social media has sterilized the soul of the sport. Now, winning often means simply making fewer errors — not daring to create beauty.
But rewind 15 to 20 years, and it was a completely different world — a golden age.
Every player was a character, every match a story. They didn’t just compete; they expressed. They had style, mystery, glamour, edge. No two played the same. No two were the same.
Elena Dementieva was a warrior poet — a flawed serve, yes, but endless heart. Her groundstrokes were fearless, her fights unforgettable.
Ana Ivanovic, with her blooming forehand and radiant smile, made tennis feel like spring. She lit up the court with joy.
Maria Sharapova — a cold-blooded competitor with ice in her veins and steel in her bones. She didn’t just win — she conquered, she marketed, she mesmerized.
Serena Williams, the myth, the storm, the revolution. Power, fashion, audacity. She redefined what dominance looks like. She was the sport.
Justine Henin, the quiet genius. Her one-handed backhand was a masterpiece. She made tennis pure art, proving that finesse could still defeat force.
Kim Clijsters was joy in motion — a mother, a champion, a soul that never gave up. Her hugs were as powerful as her forehand.
Marion Bartoli, the eccentric genius. Her strokes were unorthodox, her mind brilliant. She didn’t fit the mold — she broke it.
Flavia Pennetta, the elegant rebel. Her tennis had class, her presence had mystery. When she won the US Open, it felt like a fairytale.
Maria Kirilenko was grace incarnate — a player who brought feminine mystique to the baseline, soft but never weak.
Dinara Safina, the tragic heroine. Raw emotion, rawer power. She lived in the shadows of perfection, but her struggle was magnetic.
And there were so many more.
Amélie Mauresmo — a philosopher with a racket, playing elegant, introspective tennis.
Jelena Janković — theatrical, funny, volatile. A natural performer with legs of lightning.
Svetlana Kuznetsova — unpredictable power and tattoos. A street fighter with soul.
Daniela Hantuchová — all class and clean lines, tennis as geometry.
Anna Chakvetadze — a brief, brilliant flame of tactical genius.
Patty Schnyder — the Swiss witch of spin, unpredictable and surreal.
Francesca Schiavone — fire on clay, poetry in chaos. Her 2010 Roland-Garros title was magic incarnate.
Nicole Vaidišová — the haunting beauty of wasted potential.
Vera Zvonareva — emotionally raw and technically gifted. When she broke down, she reminded us tennis is deeply human.
Tatiana Golovin — stylish, fearless, modern. One of the early players to make tennis unapologetically sexy.
Together, these women didn’t just play tennis.
They lived it.
They felt it.
They made us feel it.
They gave us tears, elegance, fury, artistry, glamour, collapse, and rebirth — often in one single match. The court was their canvas, and each one painted in her own color. Today, we miss that. We miss the imperfections, the drama, the mystique.
Tennis is still alive. But the soul? The magic?
That’s what we’re waiting to feel again.
I think that we really can’t compare the past tennis years to the present. I think women’s tennis now has more depth although I see more consistency previously. There are so many talents now that it becomes more unpredictable. I still love women’s tennis no matter what.
Agree, lack of superstar qualities, i dont think current non tennis fans knows who Sabalaenka or Swiatek are.
But back then even now, many non fans still knows who Williams Sister/Sharapova are.
They had characters, winning mindset revolutionalized the games, fierce competitors, excitement, glamour and super star qualities.
They were so independent and great focus on themselves, while current players are trying too hard buddy² with each other, kinda turn off for me personally.
It’s not really about the game, it’s about the superstar quality. Previously we had mega superstar like Williams sisters and Sharapova, then Ivanovic and Wozniacki that even with not as big as Serena, Venus and Sharapova but still possess superstar quality good enough to attract fans.