Samantha Stosur

Samantha Stosur

Samantha Stosur built her game on a kick serve routinely rated the best in women's tennis and a forehand that leapt off the clay, so Paris cracked first. At Roland Garros 2010 she ended Justine Henin's 24-match streak at the tournament, saved a match point against Serena Williams, and swept aside Jelena Jankovic, before Francesca Schiavone spoiled the final. New York paid it back a year later: 6-2, 6-3 over Williams in Arthur Ashe Stadium, Australia's first women's Grand Slam champion since Evonne Goolagong at Wimbledon in 1980.

Home was harder. Melbourne never let her past the fourth round, and in 2012 the reigning US Open champion lost in the first round. Doubles was kinder: four Grand Slam titles, three more in mixed, and 61 weeks at No. 1 from February 2006. Singles ended with a standing ovation at the 2022 Australian Open, doubles in Melbourne a year later. Her 9 career titles and a career-high No. 4 undersell that fortnight in New York, when at 27 she was untouchable.