TENNIS in DEPTH.

Winning a Grand Slam is a momentous feat, sure, but it doesn’t demand a player beat up to five of her Top 10 colleagues in the space of a week – at the end of a long year. Reflecting the globalization of the sport, the last decade has seen the prestigious tournament hosted on three continents, by cities as different as Los Angeles, Munich, Madrid and Doha.

Through it all, one thing hasn’t changed: only the very best of the best have held the trophy. Among the salient statistics, the SEC honor roll shows that 13 of the 16 women who have tasted end-of-year glory have also been No.1 in the rankings at some point during their career.

So with a keen eye on the past – and remembering that one place is still up for grabs – here’s a look at how the line-up for the 2009 Sony Ericsson Championships could add to this illustrious history.

Serena Williams, Venus Williams and French Open holder Svetlana Kuznetsova will be the only former Grand Slam champions in the field at Doha, which means Dinara Safina, Elena Dementieva, Caroline Wozniacki and Victoria Azarenka will be looking to join a select group that has enjoyed SEC success before capturing one of the Big Four majors.

Bookmark It