In the world of women's tennis, a significant transformation has taken place over the years. A former World number player, Dinara Safina, has shed light on how players like Coco Gauff are being affected by this change. The 2024 WTA season came to an end, and it was a remarkable year for some players looking to carry that momentum into 2025.

Unraveling the Effects of a Tennis Revolution on Today's Stars

How the Game Has Evolved During Different Eras

Dinara Safina, who retired from professional tennis in 2014 at the young age of 28, closely observes the tour. She reached the summit of women's tennis in 2009 and believes there has been a substantial change between her era and the current one. Back in her time, players like Serena Williams, Kim Clijsters, and Maria Sharapova were at the top. Safina's six-month stint as World number one in 2009 is even more remarkable as she competed against some of the greatest players of all time. She praised their consistency, stating that today's players do not possess the same ability to consistently reach the latter end of tournaments.During Safina's time, the top 10 was very tight, and it was difficult to break through. Now, players can have a few poor tournaments and still return to the top 10. She mentioned Coco Gauff and Jessica Pegula as being inconsistent, while praising Aryna Sabalenka and Iga Swiatek, the WTA's top two players. Gauff won three titles in 2024 and made two Grand Slam finals but suffered crushing defeats in five successful tournaments throughout the summer, including Wimbledon, the Paris Olympics, and the US Open.

The Difficulty of Maintaining the World Number One Rank

In 2009, Safina followed in the footsteps of her brother and two-time Grand Slam winner Marat Safin by becoming the World number one. She remained in that position for six months and won three championships during that year. However, she expressed the difficulties of being in that position, especially without a Grand Slam title to her name. "I always had a dream to be famous, No 1 and all this, but then suddenly I felt so much pressure being there. I didn't expect that I would have this pressure," she told The Guardian back in 2020. "I thought it was going to be fun, you know? You become famous, you become No 1. And everybody is happy. It's actually the opposite! Everybody wants to beat you."This shows the contrasting experiences of being at the top of the women's game in different eras. While it is an honor to reach the top, it comes with its own set of challenges and pressures.