New Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova has the world at her feet, but the softly-spoken, 21-year-old Czech now needs to prove that she can be a big noise amongst the big beasts of women’s tennis. With the Williams sisters struggling for form, Kim Clijsters injured and Caroline Wozniacki increasingly unconvincing as world number one, there is a desperate need for characters and compelling storylines.
For Kvitova, the first Grand Slam winner born in the 1990s, it’s a big ask to measure up to the epic rivalries in the men’s game served up by Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic. But Martina Navratilova, who was on hand to see fellow Czech Kvitova become the third woman from her country to win a Wimbledon title, is convinced that the future quality of the women’s game can measure up to the men’s.
“With the women, we haven’t had the two biggest stars, the Williams sisters, then Justine Henin, Kim Clijsters. We’ve lost our biggest names. They’re not playing for one reason or another,” said Navratilova. “That being said, it’s about quality, not quantity. I think the women are coming through pretty nicely. It’s kind of nobody really grabbed that No. 1 ranking. We’ll see what happens the rest of the year.” Navratilova believes that outside of the top three, the men’s game is just as open as the women’s, but appreciates why Nadal, Federer, Djokovic and Andy Murray dominate the column inches.
“From what I understand, most people come to Wimbledon wanting to watch the men, but when they leave they enjoyed watching the women more,” said Navratilova, an 18-time Grand Slam singles winner.
