Esther Vergeer

Esther Vergeer
Full nameEsther Mary Vergeer
Country (sports) Netherlands
ResidenceWoerden, Netherlands
Born (1981-07-18) 18 July 1981 (age 43)
Woerden, Netherlands
Turned pro1995
Retired2013
PlaysRight handed
Int. Tennis HoF2023 (member page)
Official websitewww.esthervergeer.nl
Singles
Career record700–25 (96.6%)
Career titles169
Highest rankingNo. 1 (6 April 1999)
Grand Slam singles results
Australian OpenW (2002, 2003, 2004, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2011, 2012)
French OpenW (2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012)
US OpenW (2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2010, 2011)
Other tournaments
MastersW (1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011)
Paralympic Games Gold Medal (2000, 2004, 2008, 2012)
Doubles
Career record441–35 (92.6%)
Career titles136
Highest rankingNo. 1 (20 October 1998)
Grand Slam doubles results
Australian OpenW (2003, 2004, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2011, 2012)
French OpenW (2007, 2008, 2009, 2011, 2012)
WimbledonW (2009, 2010, 2011)
US OpenW (2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2010, 2011)
Other doubles tournaments
Masters DoublesW (2001, 2002, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2011)
Paralympic Games Gold Medal (2000, 2004, 2012) Silver Medal (2008)
World Team Cup Champion (1998, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009)
Medal record
Representing  Netherlands
Women's wheelchair tennis
Paralympic Games
Gold medal – first place 2000 Sydney Women's singles
Gold medal – first place 2000 Sydney Women's doubles
Gold medal – first place 2004 Athens Women's singles
Gold medal – first place 2004 Athens Women's doubles
Gold medal – first place 2008 Beijing Women's singles
Silver medal – second place 2008 Beijing Women's doubles
Gold medal – first place 2012 London Women's singles
Gold medal – first place 2012 London Women's doubles
Last updated on: 28 January 2012.

Esther Mary Vergeer (Dutch pronunciation: [ˈɛstər vərˈɣeːr]; born 18 July 1981) is a Dutch former professional wheelchair tennis player. Vergeer won 43 major titles (21 in singles and 22 in doubles), 23 year-end championships (14 consecutive in singles and nine in doubles), and seven Paralympic gold medals (four in singles and three in doubles). She was the world No. 1 in women's wheelchair singles from 1999 to her retirement in February 2013.[1] Vergeer went undefeated in singles for ten straight years, ending her career on a winning streak of 470 matches.[2] She has often been named the most dominant player in professional sports.[3][4]

Over the course of her career, Vergeer won 700 singles matches and lost 25.[5] She won 169 singles titles,[5] including four Paralympic singles gold medals, 21 major titles and 14 NEC Wheelchair Tennis Masters. Vergeer spent 668 weeks as the world No. 1, first claiming the position on 6 April 1999, regaining it on 2 October 2000, and relinquishing it on 21 January 2013 (shortly before her retirement). Vergeer was the ITF World Champion for 13 years in a row. In doubles, Vergeer won 136 titles, 27 of which were won at the majors. She has three Paralympic gold medals for doubles, and was part of the winning World Team Cup side on 12 occasions.[6]

Vergeer went undefeated in women's singles matches for ten years, having last lost on 30 January 2003 to Daniela di Toro. Afterwards, she won 120 tournaments, 470 matches, defeated 73 different opponents and did not lose a game on 95 occasions. Further, during the streak she lost only 18 sets and was taken to match point only once, against Korie Homan in the final of the 2008 Beijing Paralympics.[7]

  1. ^ "Esther Vergeer quits wheelchair tennis after perfect decade". BBC Sport. 12 February 2013. Retrieved 7 March 2013.
  2. ^ Champion Vergeer considers her future – London 2012 Paralympics Archived 10 September 2012 at the Wayback Machine
  3. ^ Fuller, Linda K. (4 October 2018). Female Olympian and Paralympian Events: Analyses, Backgrounds, and Timelines. Springer. p. 178. ISBN 9783319767925.
  4. ^ Burton DeWitt, Esther Vergeer is the World's Most Dominant Athlete, Bleacher Report, 27 July 2008
    Tom Lamont, Is this the world's greatest athlete?, The Guardian, 30 August 2008
    Brett Corbin, A Champ Has Rivals, but No Equals, The New York Times, 11 September 2010
    Mark Hodgkinson, Esther Vergeer unveiled – the world's most dominant athlete, The Daily Telegraph, 19 October 2010
    Greg Duke, Wheelchair ace bares body and soul, CNN, 3 November 2010.
    Sandra Harwitt, Esther Vergeer is blazing new trails, ESPN, 3 May 2011.
    Eben Harrell, Esther Vergeer Hits Wimbledon: Meet the World's Most Dominant Athlete, Time, 1 July 2011.
    Vergeer's dominance deserved better, Fox Sports, 12 February 2013
    Steve Tignor, (Even) more than a number, Tennis, 19 February 2013.
    Lloyd I. Sederer, Who Is The Most Dominant Player In Professional Sports Today?, The Huffington Post, 10 March 2013
    Martina Navratilova and Esther Vergeer Featured In Movie WINNING To Premiere Sept. 8 In NYC, World Tennis Magazine, 14 August 2017.
  5. ^ a b International Tennis Federation (ITF) (8 May 2020). "ESTHER VERGEER - BY THE NUMBERS". International Tennis Federation (ITF). Retrieved 26 May 2022.
  6. ^ "Esther Vergeer announces retirement". ITF Tennis. 12 February 2013. Retrieved 4 March 2013.
  7. ^ "Esther Vergeer celebrates 10 years unbeaten". ITF Tennis. 30 January 2013. Retrieved 7 March 2013.