As Serena Williams raised her trophy in Melbourne a few months ago, critics eyes started twitching. "What the hell just happened here?"

It was a valid question. Serena had played a grand total of four events in 2006, was badly out of shape, ranked 81st and had just routed Maria Sharapova for the loss of three games. Was her eighth Slam triumph a testament to her sheer will, talent and competitiveness? Or was it just proof of the decline in women's tennis?

Many a fan is pining for the time when Venus and Serena Williams, Jennifer Capriati, Lindsay Davenport, Justine Henin and Kim Clijsters were battling for Slams. Those were the days of great rivalries and power tennis that trounced the lesser players. Clijsters is the only one of the above mentioned who has officially retired (ironic, since she is the youngest of the group).

‘Henin is at least still alive and kicking, although she plays an abbreviated schedule’


But if the rest are still to be considered "active" players, what gives? Davenport had a child, although she is making a comeback in doubles at New Haven this week and returns to singles action in Bali, the week after the US Open.

Capriati hasn't played a match since November 2004 due to shoulder problems and Venus and Serena try to squeeze in a couple of tournaments between year-round injuries, it would seem. Henin is at least still alive and kicking and, although she plays an abbreviated schedule (like Serena in her glory days), she's well on her way to 80 weeks at No.1.

A quick look at the top of the rankings does indeed raise the same issue. Henin is the world No.1, with only 13 tournaments to her name (add to that, she didn't play this year's Australian Open), Sharapova is number two, with 15 tournaments to her name (and has just won her first title in 10 months at San Diego) while Serena's wins in Melbourne and Miami have propelled her to number eight with only eight tournaments to her name. (This mirrors what an effect a strong result here and there can have on your ranking – not unlike the men's tour, if you exclude Federer and Nadal, but that's beside the point).

Then again, these are players who perform at best when playing selectively. Serena has never played more that 13 tournaments in a calender year on the Sony Ericsson WTA Tour. It's obvious then that the women's tour can be seen as depleted, because the still-active "old-time greats" are so rarely seen on court.

So now we have the new blood, a tidal wave of new players climbing the ranks who, according to a lot critics, shouldn't be there. An answer to this is the fact early in the decade the players mentioned above were the power players, players who made the world sit up and take notice, an elite group who could compete with each other's power and speed on the ground and who gave birth to the power era. Now we are in the second half of the decade and smack-dab in the power era. The difference between sheer power and athleticism doesn't exist any more. It's more of a level playing field.

The question now is – how will it evolve? With the retirement of every icon in recent years, a new one rose up with something new ... Graf's machine-like athleticism, Seles' unrivalled off-the-ground game, the Williams sisters' power, Henin's classic backhand and Clijsters’ speed around the back of the court.

Unfortunately, that is what women's tennis doens't have at the moment. There really isn't anything that sets the players apart. Henin should be the head-and-shoulders icon now, but there's a big difference between playing in Slam finals and actually winning them. Sharapova has been more a fashion model on court than a champion and, although Venus and Serena are still around to win the odd Slam, their impact on women's tennis is too short-lived and too few and far between.

The conclusion is that women's tennis is at a unique point in its history. Yes, it may not be exciting in the conventional way, but hopefully fans will find excitement in this new wide-open field and just maybe one or two of these youngsters will take the giant leap into the company of Henin, Clijsters, Davenport, Capriati and Venus and Serena Williams.