[DrKirkNoliss]

2000s: Top 20 Female Athletes Summaries by Andrew Lawrence, SI.com Our top 20 lists of the best male and female athletes of the decade were a team effort. We asked a group of writers and editors at SI.com to consider on-the-field achievements and come up with the best of the best. Each voter's top choice was awarded 20 points, followed by 19 for their second pick, 18 for their third, etc. There were no restrictions on athletes who have admitted to using or have been linked to performance-enhancing drugs, though many voters acknowledged that such considerations did influence their choices.


1.Serena Williams
Some might argue that Williams, 28, is the best story in sports (notwithstanding her temper tantrum at the 2009 U.S. Open). Consider her accomplishments this decade: She won nine of her 10 Grand Slam singles titles and two Olympic gold medals in doubles (with her sister Venus), and she recently reclaimed the No. 1 ranking. She boasts the most powerful game in modern tennis, and she is best when the stakes are highest. Throw in the nearly $29 million in prize money -- most of it earned in the aughts -- and it's an improbable haul for a woman who was schooled in the game along with Venus by their father, the self-taught Richard, on pockmarked public courts in Compton, Calif.


Here is the article in full:
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/200...tes/index.html

[DrKirkNoliss]

Also, SI did an article for the guys and Roger finished second to Tiger Woods while Rafael did get a mention of being in the next group.

Speaking of the next group, Kim got mentioned in the next group. If Kim got mentioned, I think Maria should also got recognition as she won one more Slam than Kim as she won all of them except the French Open.

[carfAball]

They mentioned Kim but not Venus or Henin?

[hhynmtrxcp]

They mentioned Kim but not Venus or Henin?

Justine was #4, Venus #6. Kim was included in "next group", meaning those falling right below the top 20. Maria Sharapova, and Amelie were not mentioned at all.

[koebforfrn]

I'm kinda glad for Serena. I'm glad that....one bad incident did not overshadow her accomplishments in Tennis.

At the same time....I have to wonder....this one bad incident was SO BAD....it seems like....we are pushing it aside because of all these other accomplishments. It honestly seems like...she is being rewarded despite that unacceptable behavior.

Jus' sayin.....that's what it feels like.

[SannyGlow]

I'm kinda glad for Serena. I'm glad that....one bad incident did not overshadow her accomplishments in Tennis.

At the same time....I have to wonder....this one bad incident was SO BAD....it seems like....we are pushing it aside because of all these other accomplishments. It honestly seems like...she is being rewarded despite that unacceptable behavior.

Jus' sayin.....that's what it feels like.

Maybe I'm alone on this, but I don't really think what she did was so bad. After all, it was only words. I don't think 20 seconds of verbal abuse cancels out a decade of spectacular tennis play.

[koebforfrn]

Maybe I'm alone on this, but I don't really think what she did was so bad. After all, it was only words. I don't think 20 seconds of verbal abuse cancels out a decade of spectacular tennis play.

I would hesitate to call it just verbal abuse. I think verbal abuse is more to the tune of what Roger Federer did.

There was clearly....and intimidation thing going on. Serena knows she is scary when she is pizzed off and what with the body stance and the waving the racket down and the physical threat....sigh....I don't know.

It just feels that way. At the same time...I'd feel she was being slighted if she DIDNT get the award you know?

[dXI9XFOA]

Maybe I'm alone on this, but I don't really think what she did was so bad. After all, it was only words. I don't think 20 seconds of verbal abuse cancels out a decade of spectacular tennis play.

I think that the issue is not particularly what she said, but the way she said it. I mean, she was clearly attempting to intimidate the woman into doing.....something, I'm not actually sure what she expected to gain from it. But she is much more physically imposing than the lineswoman and the fact that she was shaking a tennis racket at the woman while she did it pushed it over the edge for me.

[gardenerextraordinaire]

I just keep coming back to the same thing on this subject, which has been beaten to death... It's not appropriate for a man to threaten physical violence, either seriously or not seriously, against a wife or partner, so it shouldn't be appropriate for Serena Williams or any other woman, either.

That said, it was really nothing more than a very serious error in judgment in the heat of the battle that set a horrible example for how to resolve conflict in a difficult situation. But she has been punished, and everyone except Richard Hinds and some tennis insiders, media and fans who already didn't like her has moved on.

[Yb4bulVR]

I do not agree with what she did or do I think it's as bad as everyone has it out to be. I just clearly think this is an issue of Serena being a woman with a foul mouth. Any man on and given day can curse and it's no big deal just look the other way, but heaven forbid Miss Williams do it. I know she did just a little more than curse, but it all comes down to her being a woman. What are women suppose to be? LADY LIKE... So they punished Serena for being a woman IMO.

I think this a lot, but then I remember a few of J Caps spells where she went off the deep end on several accounts and even hit the linesmen on the next point after cursing, but nothing was ever done... hmmmm makes you wonder if they just don't have it in for Serena.

[hhynmtrxcp]

... hmmmm makes you wonder if they just don't have it in for Serena.

If "they" had it in for Serena, why did "they" not do anything when she threatened Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez in Paris?

[loikrso]

Happy to see Serena continue to get the credit she deserves for raising athletic competition to an art.

Athlete of the Decade.

It doesn't get any better than that.

[hhynmtrxcp]

Happy to see Serena continue to get the credit she deserves for raising athletic competition to an art.

Athlete of the Decade.

It doesn't get any better than that.

And that is exactly what the discussion needs to focus on Craig. There has been no other woman in sport this decade who has set the bar as high, and has truly excelled in her sport, than Serena. And she alone deserved being named Athlete of The Decade.

[Glanteeignile]

And that is exactly what the discussion needs to focus on Craig. There has been no other woman in sport this decade who has set the bar as high, and has truly excelled in her sport, than Serena. And she alone deserved being named Athlete of The Decade.

Are you sure about that? There have been at least half a dozen female athletes as dominant or more this decade... Not that I think any of them necessarily deserve it more, but let's not pretend that tennis is the only relevant sport.

[loikrso]

Are you sure about that? There have been at least half a dozen female athletes as dominant or more this decade... Not that I think any of them necessarily deserve it more, but let's not pretend that tennis is the only relevant sport.

Please name them and their sport.

[Peretool]

Are you sure about that? There have been at least half a dozen female athletes as dominant or more this decade... Not that I think any of them necessarily deserve it more, but let's not pretend that tennis is the only relevant sport.

Not to mention this concept of "Athlete of the Decade" is a hollow one at best. As mentioned before, the decade isn't even over yet. Secondly, an athlete could have an incredible few years in one decade, and another incredible few years in another decade and miss out on this phony title altogether.

[hhynmtrxcp]

Are you sure about that? There have been at least half a dozen female athletes as dominant or more this decade... Not that I think any of them necessarily deserve it more, but let's not pretend that tennis is the only relevant sport.

Year after year, on the biggest stages of the world, she dominated the sport, and brought the attention of the world to her game. There is no other female athlete that has garnered the attention, not only for themself, but for their sport.

I think Athlete of the Decade, for Serena, is a no-brainer to be honest.

[Glanteeignile]

Please name them and their sport.

I am not equally familiar with all sports and time is limited so this is going to be a partial list...

Annika Sorenstam (golf, 8 majors, 54 LPGA wins, #1 player for 5 consecutive years)
Janica Kostelic (alpine skiing, 4 Olympic gold medals, 5 times world champion, 3 overall World Cup titles)
Yelena Isinbayeva (pole vault, 2 Olympic gold medals, twice a world champion, multiple world record holder, beaten only twice since 2003 season)
Carolina Kluft (heptathlon, Olympic gold and three World championship gold medals, unbeaten since 2002, retired from the discipline after 2007 season)
Zhang Yining (table tennis, 4 Olympic titles, 9 times World champion, #1 player continuously since January 2003

[carfAball]

I am not equally familiar with all sports and time is limited so this is going to be a partial list...

Annika Sorenstam (golf, 8 majors, 54 LPGA wins, #1 player for 5 consecutive years)
Janica Kostelic (alpine skiing, 4 Olympic gold medals, 5 times world champion, 3 overall World Cup titles)
Yelena Isinbayeva (pole vault, 2 Olympic gold medals, twice a world champion, multiple world record holder, beaten only twice since 2003 season)
Carolina Kluft (heptathlon, Olympic gold and three World championship gold medals, unbeaten since 2002, retired from the discipline after 2007 season)
Zhang Yining (table tennis, 4 Olympic titles, 9 times World champion, #1 player continuously since January 2003

American magazine, no way any of these people win.

You gotta be competing more on big stages than these Olympians, and Sorenstam has been swept up in a huge amount of steroid controversy.

[Glanteeignile]

You gotta be competing more on big stages than these Olympians, and Sorenstam has been swept up in a huge amount of steroid controversy.

Yeah? It can't be too big if I haven't noticed... In any case such rumors are circulation about many dominant athletes including some tennis players (and even Tiger Woods).

Some of those other folks are on TV a lot in Europe and the Chinese girl is probably a big star in her native land.

P.S. I didn't say that any of them deserve it more, but it's sometimes annoying that journalists and fans alike act like all those other "non-American" sports don't even exist...