Tennis players to reach women's singles Grand Slam semifinals after coming through as qualifiers

Published at :January 30, 2024 at 7:36 PM

Modified at :January 30, 2024 at 7:36 PM

(Courtesy : AFP)

Only one of them went on to win the tournament

To make it to the main round of a Grand Slam, a singles player has three options. One can either secure a direct entry as one of the 104 top-ranked fit players in the world or get a wildcard. These are usually given to local players, promising youngsters, or players making a comeback from injuries.

The remaining 16 spots are filled through qualifiers. A player in the qualifiers of a Grand Slam has to win three rounds to book a place in the main draw of the tournament. This way, we get the 128 players who will compete in the singles event of a Grand Slam.

Therefore, it is fair to say that a player who comes through the qualifiers in the main round is at a disadvantage, having played three extra matches and, thus, losing stamina in the early stages of the tournament. So, for a player who comes through the qualifiers, reaching the semi-finals is almost like winning the whole thing!

We decided to check out the list of women’s singles players who have made it to a Grand Slam semi-final while coming through the qualifiers.

5. Christine Matison – (Australian Open, 1978)

Christine Matison, in 1978, made history as the first woman to reach the semi-finals of a Grand Slam from the qualifiers. Remarkably, she also made it to the semi-finals in the women’s doubles event of the same tournament in the same year. These performances marked her best-ever outings in a Grand Slam.

The Australian player’s dream run at the championship was halted by the eighth seed and eventual champion, Betsy Nagelsen, who defeated her in straight sets. This marked the end of an impressive journey for the local talent at the tournament.

4. Alexandra Stevenson – (Wimbledon, 1999)

The daughter of a former NBA player, Julius Erving, Alexandra Stevenson, is the second player to have achieved the feat. And she did that in the season she turned pro, 1999. The semi-final appearance in the 1999 Wimbledon, as was in the case of Christine Matison, was the best place finish by the US pro in her singles career.

She was also defeated in the semi-final in straight sets by the eventual winner of the tournament, her compatriot, Lindsay Davenport.

3. Nadia Podoroska – (Roland Garros, 2020)

The first active player on our list is Nadia Podoroska. She is a 26-year-old tennis player who ranks 65th in the world and regularly competes in the Grand Slam events. She made it to the semi-finals of the 2020 French Open and earned the WTA Newcomer of the Year award for her performance.

She defeated the third-seeded Elina Svitolina in the quarter-finals, but lost to the Polish sensation Iga Swiatek, who went on to win the Grand Slam title, in the semi-finals.

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2. Emma Raducanu – (US Open, 2021)

The only player on the list to have started from the qualifiers and won the Grand Slam title is the British MBE, Emma Raducanu. The player, who was 21 years old at the time of writing, overcame the challenge of elite established stars like Maria Sakkari and others on her way to the title. And what’s even more astonishing is that the British star never dropped a set throughout the tournament.

She defeated Canada’s Leylah Fernandez 6-4, 6-3 in the final to lift the title. Fernandez may have finally run out of gas after defeating the likes of Aryna Sabalenka, Elina Svitolina, and Naomi Osaka, three of the top five seeds of the tournament.

1. Dayana Yastremska – (Australian Open, 2024)

The latest player to have reached the semi-finals of a Grand Slam, after having played the qualifiers is Ukraine’s Dayana Yastremska. The Ukranian also faltered just before the title decider, having been defeated by the Chinese pro Qinwen Zheng. At the time of writing, the final of the tournament is yet to be played.

Marketa Vondrousova, Victoria Azarenka, and Emma Navarro were the most notable victims of the Ukranian in her run to the semi-finals of the tournament.

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