Serena Williams and the 10 Most Compelling Women in Tennis History

Compelling means different things to different people.

To be a compelling person, they must be winners. They must make their mark on the sport. But compelling has taken on a very special meaning in contemporary life.

Compelling—An extremely attractive, confident, opinionated and intellectual woman who is very cool, has sense of humor and knows how to chill.

Compelling—Something that is so wonderful, it is hard to find the words to match. Something that makes your heart beat faster. Something that tops everything else, and always crosses your mind.

Compelling—Having a powerful and irresistible effect; requiring acute admiration, attention, or respect.

That's what "compelling" means to me. You getting the picture?

Beauty, brains, media-savvy-lisciousness, world-wide appeal, diva-ready.

A superstar. 

Here are some of the women in tennis that fit the bill.

10. Anna Kournikova

No matter what everyone said about her tennis—and we will make being a "winner" an important part of the compelling aspect of this list—Anna was the first of many very successful Russian tennis stars to emerge and use tennis as a vehicle for success.

Anna was a pioneer, and it takes a significant dose of 'compelling' to be a pioneer.

See this compelling documentary about Anna's impact on Russian tennis—Anna's Army, the Rise of Russian Women's Tennis.  The video is also available here. 

Finally, here's a nice description of Anna's work on The Biggest Loser, as well as her commitment to charitable work.

9. Althea Gibson

Tall and statuesque, Althea Gibson is the only woman—or man—to achieve major titles in two different sports.

Althea won five Grand Slam titles. Had she not commenced her careers in golf or tennis so late in life—and with so little formal training—her impact on both sports might have been much greater.

Like Serena and Venus, Althea was tall a 5' 11", extremely personable and was one of few stars to emerge out of a background of poverty

As the first African American woman in tennis, she broke the so-called "color barrier."

8. Evonne Goolagong

Evonne played tennis in the early 1970's.  

Between 1973 and 1978, she reached the final of almost every Grand Slam singles event she entered, and won seven Grand Slam titles.

In 1980, now married with a child, she once again won Wimbledon, becoming one of the few mothers in tennis history to have success at that level.

Back then, Evonne was a "looker."  She was known as "La Belle Evonne" for her graceful, long limbs and athleticism.

Evonne is of native aboriginal Australian heritage, one of the Wiradjuri people, making her almost completely unique in the annals of tennis history. Even today, if you say "Goolagon," people know who you're talking about. 

7. Helen Wills Moody

On the all-time list, Helen Wills appears near the top with 19 major titles.

One of the first major American Ladies' tennis stars, and one of the few to have a college degree. Helen Wills, from California's central valley, was Phi Beta Kappa at the University of California.

She was quite beautiful, but modest—not diva-liscious, unlike her chief rival, Suzanne Lenglen. Her long skirts and cardigan sweater don't paint the picture as well as the final shot of the video in slide #10 does.

At the time (see the aforementioned video), actor Charley Chaplin is quoted as saying, "the movement of Helen Wills playing tennis was the most beautiful sight he had ever seen."

When she died at 92, she left her $10 million fortune to the University of California, where she is now remembered by the Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute.

6. Monica Seles

This is the lady who changed the modern tennis game for women forever.

Her grunting and the effort she put into her tennis are still controversial; it is the talk of the tennis world.

Her power game and compelling personality land her on this list. She was so compelling that one of her rivals' fans felt compelled (pun intended) to stab her to stop her inexorable rise to stardom.

5. Steffi Graf

"She got legs!" so goes the song.

Andre Agassi has said in his book that he first noticed her because she had the best legs in the world.

In this wonderful video, someone proposed marriage during one of her Wimbledon matches.

Steffi might have had one of the most riveting rivalries in tennis history with Monica Seles. She would be one of the highest ranking Grand Slam winners, with 22 Grand Slam singles titles.

Her incredible focus and fearsome forehand provided inspiration for husband and legend Andre Agassi.

4 .Chris Evert

Chris Evert, at one time, could be considered the princess of American sport.

In her day, tennis was one of the most popular America pastimes. Evert achieved success at a very young age and was a consistent winner through a career that spanned almost two decades.

She was engaged to one of the most popular tennis champions ever, the legendary Jimmy Conners, in a sort of sweetheart romance that was appealing to the public. She had an elegant, clean look, with pearls and straight lines that had universal appeal.

Chris Evert is more accurately known, perhaps, as the "Ice Princess" for her clear-eye competitive spirit.

As an American icon and good girl, her chief rival at the time, Martina Navratilova, has described it as being very hard to compete with her for American media attention. 

3. Billie Jean King

One of three women who's achievements got their names fixed to a stadium and winner of 12 Grand Slam singles titles, Billie Jean King is also the woman who almost single-handedly invented the modern women's competitive tour—the WTA).

She also fought for equal pay for women in tennis and won the Presidential Medal of Freedom—the highest honor the United States can bestow on a civilian.

She even kicked Bobby Riggs' ass in one of the most famous tennis matches in history.

Here she is sitting behind Prince William in the royal box at Wimbledon. She talked to him the whole time. Who wouldn't want to watch a Wimbledon tennis match with Billie Jean King whispering commentary in your ear?

2. Serena Williams

She is on a short list of all-time Grand Slam winners. She is riveting to watch. She is interesting to socialize with (how many twitter followers does she have?)

She is a diva on a world-wide stage. Just look at this video, which is banned from commercial television in the US.

I'm going out on a limb and say that Serena is compelling, while sister Venus is not.

1. Suzanne Lenglen

It's hard to appreciate now that Suzanne Lenglen was once one of the most famous people in the world and a more well-known and beloved world sports figure than Babe Ruth. 

The whole reason that the Wimbledon stadium as we know it today was built in London's SW19, was not because of any male tennis star at the time, but rather to accommodate the incredible crowds that would come to see Suzanne Lenglen play.

What I want you to appreciate about this video is what a drama queen Ms. Lenglen was—she was a diva in the true sense of the word. She wasn't above crying on-court if it would help swing the momentum of a match her way.

Here she is in the only match-up she would have with the up-and-coming Helen Wills. She deliberately makes Ms. Wills wait.  You can see Helen standing there looking lost while the whole crowd is eagerly looking for Suzanne.

When she does make her entrance, she stops to talk to the paparrazzi and makes Helen Wills wait some more. At the very end of the video, there is a close-up view of the beauteous Helen Wills.

Like that of Steffi Graf and Monica Seles, this is another beautiful rivalry that might have enriched the sport. These two superstars only met once, however.

Lenglen wasn't a "looker," like Helen Wills. In retrospect, she has been described as resembling Lyndon Baines Johnson.

But she played tennis at a time when women were learning to free themselves from the strict clothing ideas of the Victorian era.  She didn't wear a corset. And she sometimes would leap into the air, pursuing an overhead, and reveal her ankles and legs.

She conveyed a visceral freedom and was part of making ladies' tennis what it is—a power game and not a sedate lawn experience.

There's a reason why she is one of three ladies with a tennis stadium named after them.

Summary

Yes, I created a list on which both Anna Kournikova and Suzanne Lenglen appear.  

But would Suzanne Lenglen object?

I think Lenglen appreciated the power of star quality and inherent sexuality that ladies' tennis draws. It's inescapable.

Perhaps Billie Jean King would object, but she was instrumental in arguing that the ladies do, in fact, draw the crowds to the tournaments. And so, they are deserving of an equal share in the profits and prizes generated thereby.

Being "compelling" plays a role in men's tennis as well.

John McEnroe, a one-time famous superbrat has stated his belief that the reason people continue to come to see him play on the senior tour is more than his brilliant volleying—it's in the hope of witnessing yet another melt-down.

Compelling has everything to do with one's ability to create a presence on the court, like Nadal above—he, too, is compelling.