Current WTA elites have minimal name recognition out in the general public, with former player-turned-commentator Marion Bartoli concerned about the situation.
The Frenchwoman who won Wimbledon a decade ago told Tennis365 that former greats Steffi Graf and Monica Seles are better known – even 30 years on from their heyday – than the current crop of the WTA Top-10.
The current rivalry between No. 1 Iga Swiatek and No. 2 Aryna Sabalenka goes straight over the heads of all but the most diehard tennis fans.
“I almost feel if you go into the street and say the names Steffi Graf and Monica Seles, they would be more known than some of the top ten current players,” Bartoli said..
“Those past champions were there (on Tour) all the time and people could recognise the name going deep in every Grand Slam and you get familiar with the names.”
She added: “The WTA is suffering with new names coming in. But then they disappear and another one is coming and you might not be able to follow that all the time.
“It’s going to be interesting to see if the girls who are now in the top ten are able to really establish themselves and to come out every single year and perform with consistency.”
The come-and-go nature of today’s players is easy to spot, with former Grand Slam winners like Brit Emma Raducanu (injury, poor form), Naomi Osaka (emotional stress, pregnancy) and Bianca Andreescu (motivation, injury problem) fading from sight after making major – of temporary – breakthroughs.
“For the new generation, it is about building your profile by having consistent results,” Bartoli said.
“That’s what gives you the platform from the publicists and the press, but you need to have your results and that is the main criteria for someone to be famous.”
