Bevan, that one is difficult! However, I will vote for Steffi Graf. One of them may have been the most dominant player in history. However, Graf suffered greatly from bodily ailments, while Court suffered greatly from mental ones. Graf retired too young, at just 29 years old, in my opinion; Court had a lengthier playing career. If Graf hadn’t done so, I predict she would have won at least four more Slams. Even though Court was a fantastic player, she was also a front-runner, and she might become unstable if she wasn’t winning matches easily.
Though I believe 11 of Court’s 24 singles Slam victories occurred at the Australian Open, where it wasn’t truly played against elite opposition, she still holds the record for both men and women. When you include in doubles and mixed (which Graf didn’t play frequently), she also had roughly sixty or more Grand Slam victories. There are therefore numerous things to take into account. Both of them in their peak, the Graf forehand versus the Court serve and volley, would have been amazing to behold. Billie Jean King, who played Court in her heyday and continued to be active enough in the Eighties to watch Graf perform, would make a fantastic response to this question. Thank you, Bevan, for making me think again!
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