RateItAll: The Opinion Network

Lindsay Davenport, as i write today, 22.03.2008, is still the best player overall. She is a fantastic ambassador of women's tennis & is a class apart. She is one of the most graceful servan't of the game & is a sure Hall-of-fame......

ive got nothing agaisnt lindsay davenport but for someone ranked no 1 in the world ( hence should be the best player)her collection of grand slams is paltry, id put her behind both williams sisters, hardine, sharapova, clisters and hingis in the ranking of womens players over the last 10 years

I was sad she lost the Wimbledon final to Venus Williams. Mainly sad 'for her' as I truly think its was her last shot at it. She seemingly had it won and then twitched her back, but after treatment she came back again even better. She was a very frustrating player to watch during that final and I dont think anyone, even the very pompous Richard Williams thought Venus was a chance.....I really hope Lindsay stays around at leat 2 more years and wins Wimbledon again. To see thw way Venus carried on at the after match ceremony was a disgrace and the crowd obviously wanted Davenport to win it again to add to her lone title in 1999. Remember Lindsay great champion's can come back from all sorts of adversity: Check Evonne Goolagong Cawley's 9 year break between Wimbledon titles in 1971 and 1980 !

nice player. great personality. able to do the maxinmum with her talent. great player, but never with that kind of dominances that the greatests have. number one a bit out of the weaknesses of former player graf and now the williams and hardenne.

Good serve, great groundstrokes, good return game, and just happens to be the nicest player on tour, these qualitites are what got her to be #1 this year and win 3 majors, just look at how she swept the californian hardcourt season beating both william's sisters in the process

Lindsay Davenport is one of the best current females in American tennis. She has a beautiful and graceful style of play, not to mention extremely smart. In terms of athleticism, not as much shown as the Williams sisters (who fight for nearly every single ball on their side of the court), but she still holds her own (Davenport knows when she won't be able to successfully hit a ball, and thus won't go after it). Most experts and commentators are speculating on whether or not Lindsay is still capable of being competitive (for what reason I don't know), but they must be watching the wrong person. She has the ability to be around for many years to come, she just has to use it. Go Lindsay!

First of all, if you read drobny's comments about Linday (about two posts below me) you will se he/she is actually talking him/herself when he/she looks at his/herself in the mirror in the morning. Hell I would probably scream bloody murder too have I had to look at something like that person at anytime of the day. But getting back to Lindsay, she is one class act and all I can say is that I am gonna miss her when she retires. Loves ya Linds

A CLASSIC - one of the pioneers of the most popular and best style of WTA tennis today. I am mesmerized by the follow through she gets on her forehands. Speaking as a tennis player her forehand blows my mind. There's just something about it that I think is perfect.

davenport is one ugly she man. where i'm from we call her slug sloth. she is as slow as a turtle and looks like the most unathletic beheamoth to bumble around a tennis court. how could anyone rate her above the williams sisters. she was only good before the women's tour stepped up the quality of their game. she was then outed as the slow ugly blob that she is.

Viva, Lindsay!!

Lindsay is my favorite player! She is nice, modest, pretty, and doesn't seem conceited like some players! To be number 1 in an era with the Williams sisters, Hingis, and Seles says a lot. She also won 3 grand slams, and has around 38 singles titles.... and how many has Anna won? 0 (yet she has a higher rating...?!?)

She hits the ball a ton, but she's a tall girl, and her movement hurts her, especially against the Williams sisters.

She is UNBELIEVABLE!!! A real inspiration of life

Lindsay has a terrible attitude when she is playing in a game

below and see how that encapsulizes what you said The bug of racism now attacks Serena David Steele AS SOON as your stomach settles, Serena Williams, please take your seat at the table. You've been admitted to a distinguished yet not at all exclusive club. It stays crowded, but as history has proven, there's always room for one more. You can sit next to Frank Thomas. Introduce yourself to J.R. Richard. Over there are Michael Jordan, Bill Russell and Joe Louis. They want to share their tales. It will sound familiar to you: Their injuries and illnesses were called fake, their sincerity doubted and their hearts questioned, by everyone from coaches to teammates to opponents to writers to fans. And just like you, all are black. Don't feel bad, Serena. From the moment you came clean about your stomach troubles after that loss in Tuesday's Wimbledon quarterfinals, you were doomed. It started not with esteemed medical expert Jennifer Capriati and well- renowned gastroenterologist Lindsay Davenport, but with the whispers around the All-England Club. They spread across the ocean almost immediately, to columnists, anchors, talk-show hosts and callers who weren't even awake to see the match, who watch about 20 minutes of tennis each year, and who can't really tell you apart from your sister Venus. Within hours, it was no longer speculation, it was fact: Serena made up this whole upset-stomach thing. She quit, and she made up a weak excuse for her late collapse. That's how she's always been, you know. And how did those who later sheepishly acknowledged Serena's illness rationalize their change of opinion? Well, she brought the second-guessing on herself, for having a father who acts too outrageous for our tastes. Oh. Serena can at least be consoled by the fact that she's continuing a tradition that goes back to the first time people of color arrived on the sports scene in large numbers. It's been their fate ever since to be seen in the eyes of the majority as superhuman from the neck down, subhuman from the neck up. This instinct to degrade a black athlete's integrity when it comes to injury is a first cousin to the old belief that they're all natural ability with no brains or heart to go with it. It's all a convenient way to separate the races in the minds of those who can't handle the idea of equality, much less dominance. It's a seemingly subtle put-down that packs a mighty punch. And it's something every single black person who advances through the ranks of any sport has to face eventually. Losing or failure comes not from defeat by a better opponent, but from a lack of guts, and you're an instant suspect in the crimes of quitting and then covering it up. Frank Thomas faced it back in May, when David Wells, his so-called teammate, said on his radio show that if Thomas had any guts, he'd go out and play with his supposedly sore arm. The arm that had a torn triceps muscle, required surgery and put him out for the season, by the way. The problem is not so much that Wells shot his mouth off; it's that his comments were so readily accepted without being seriously challenged. Wells very likely counted on that -- just as Capriati and Davenport did at Wimbledon. They all got an almost instant nod of agreement from too many people; millions simply said, "Uh-huh, that figures." They proved again that there's no safer move in sports than to knock a black athlete's desire. It happens routinely to even the lowliest athlete who misses a game or two or 10, all while hearing mutterings that he has ulterior motives. But the elite aren't spared, and the consequences have been tragic -- as people in Houston still recall two decades later. Skepticism raged about how J.R. Richard, the big, strapping right-hander, kept griping about pain and weakness in his throwing arm. They wondered right up until the day he nearly dropped dead from a stroke before a game. As heroic as Jordan has been portrayed for getting out of a sickbed to whip the Jazz in the 1997 NBA Finals, there are many who still insist that the supremely gifted player made it all up as a psychological ploy. Some from generations earlier still like pointing out that Russell never liked to practice, disregarding all that he gave of himself in games during his run of 11 championships. Still others remember as much about Roberto Clemente's "alleged" aches and pains over the years as about his brilliant play. Present and future fans will likely make sure that of all the labels, good and bad, that Rickey Henderson has earned, the one that will stick tightest is the one that's least-deserved - - that, as Lou Piniella said a long time ago, he "jaked it." Even Joe Louis was routinely described in his day as an animal who fought on instinct and didn't bother with necessities like training. After his loss in the first Max Schmeling fight, he was described by Jack Dempsey (the spiritual ancestor to Capriati, Davenport and Wells) as having "a glass jaw and consequently cannot take a punch . . . I don't think he'll ever whip another good fighter." Thomas did have this observation after the severity of his injury was revealed. "I've been doubted my whole life as a professional athlete, or as an athlete period," he said. "It doesn't bother me. I know what I'm made of." Words for Serena Williams, and all that will come after her, to live by.

In England, Lindsay is soooooo popular and, frankly, the support for her to win Wimbledon right now is massive. I love her. She reminds me of Chris Evert. A lady. She oozes class and comes across as a lovely person. In the age of sporting superstars who care more about the money than the fans or the game, what a refreshing change to find someone like Lindsay who has apparently rented a flat overlooking Wibledon so she can watch what's going on even when she's not playing! Shes a star.

I think Lindsay Davenport is THE BEST female tennis player. She is my role model. I want to live up to her expectations and i want to be like her she is such an awesome person so nice, unlike some of the women on the tour. I have been working my hardest in my tennis this is my seventh year playing tennis i am gonna be as good as her someday hopefully i keep acheiving and not decreasing. thanx for listening to my comment GO LINDSAY YOU CAN DO IT!!!!!! YOUR AWESOME

lilballink Lindsey is a good player but she does not have anything on Venus and Serena and never will. She may have beaten them a few times but in my eyes they are the best now no matter what number they are.

Lindsay is a great player! powerful, great serve and groundstrokes and is the nicest person on the tour. She is always gracious in defeat and always gives upmost respect to all her fellow players. No wonder she was voted nicest person on the tour (both men's and women's). But on the court she is ruthless and the best in the game! LINDSAY ROCKS!!!!!

i like her humility. her game speaks for herself.

Davenport is ok i mean she has the wins she teams up with my favorite tennis player anna Kournikova.She even can shut hingis's mouth and stop the williams sister

I think Lindsay Davenport is one of the most talented and nicest players on the WTA tour. She doesn't bitch in interviews and although she isn't the most attractive player, she is powerful and has a great serve. Go Lindsay!!!!

I think Lindsay Davenport is a great tennis player. So she isn't excatly the most attractive person. Who cares! The important thing is that that she CAN play tennis. Look at Anna Kournikova. She is a beautiful girl but she can't play tennis while Lindsay isn't as attractive but is No.2 in the world. Tennis isn't supposed to be a superficial sport. It's not modelling. Only a true champion can be where she is now and if she wasn't better than the Williams sisters they woukd be above her by now. She is one of the most polite, charming and humbling tennis players. She doesn't brag like the Williams sisters and she doesn't b*tch like Martina Hingis does. She is reserved and quiet and very down to earth. Good for you Lindsay!

In my oppinion I think that Lindsay Davenport is one of the greatest players around. A class act and great determination. Her confidence level is rising each time I watch her play. It's great to watch her.

I chose to give her a 1 because she cusses on and off the court, and because she is very ugly! No offense but i don't really like looking at her, and you never know if she will be good like againgst Serena in the quarterfinals of the U.S. Open or bad like against Venus in the finals where she gave up a 4-1 lead and double faulted a game away in the second set.

After the Williams sister,next is my girl LINDSY.

She's just one of the best female tennis players but she also seem sto be the smartest with a great sport spirit.

I don't think she's a class act. I saw an after game interview she made concerning Venus Williams. It was totally negative and her statement. She stated how she and other girls had banned together and discussed how they could play Venus William. If she is such a good player why was the need to even mention how she and the other team mates had joined together to figure out how to play Venus Williams? I guess Venus being such a good player it would take an entire team to try an figure out how to play her. This was totally out of line and poor sportmanship.

I think Lindsay is the BEST female tennis player that I've known. She is playing in her best always and not being so flamboyant when she won the game. She always professional in some of the interviews that she had.Quiet.Demure.And it seems that she's easy to get along with.She's GREAT !!!

Lindsay is a good player. I cannot rate her as great because of all the matches that I have seen her play and win was not because she over powered the players, but it was because the other players played badly. For example, the match she had with Serena Williams in the US open, Serena was not on her game and was easily beaten by Lindsay. This is only my opinion.

ABSOLUTELY LOVE WATCHING LINDSAY PLAY.SHE'S REALLY A CLASS ACT.ONE OF THE BEST AND MOST ENDEARING PLAYERS ON TOUR.REALLY A GREAT ALL ROUNDER.WAY TO GO!! (NOT BAD FOR AN AMERICAN EITHER) R.P>

its nice to see a player who isn't worried about her hair or how short her skirt is. i can identify with her worries over her height, because being 4 ft 11 i am used to being teased about my height.

Lindsay Davenport is the best woman's tennis player I have ever seen. She has all the moves, and is so hot! If anyone has any hard to find pictures of her please send me the link or mail them to me. Thanks, Patrick O'Connell 26/M/Atl

Lindsay is a lady on and off the court--no temper tantrums for her--Hope she wins the big one now and the U.S. Open

Lindsay Davenport reminds me of every country club girl that I have ever met from New England - polite, not attractive but not ugly, and very down to earth. There is one key difference however. Unlike most of the girls that I know, Lindsay Davenport hits a tennis ball the way George Foreman used to hit a heavy bag - with a crunching amount of brute force. Don't be fooled by the mild manners.

The Williams sisters get a lot of the attention from the U.S. press, but Davenport is the best American woman's tennis player today.

best on Womens tour