#3. Jennifer Capriati
The holder of a number of youngest-ever records including the youngest player (male or female) to win an Olympic gold, Jennifer Capriati is regarded to be one of the best female tennis players of all time due to her offense-minded game and powerful groundstrokes.
Capriati has been the World No.1 for a total of 17 weeks during the early 2000s. Capriati was one of the best hardcourt players during her playing days with two of her three Grand Slam titles coming at the Australian Open. In spite of an impressive hardcourt record, Capriati wasn’t able to win the US Open in her career, having reached the semi-finals on four occasions in 1991, 2001, 2003 and 2004.
Her first appearance at the final was in 1991 when she was only 15. Facing eventual winner Monica Seles in the semis, Capriati dropped the first set 3-6 before taking the second set by the same scoreline. The final set was exciting and it went to a tie-break but Seles won it 7-3 to win the match.
She had to wait another decade before reaching the semis. However, in 2001, Capriati was considered a heavy favorite to win the title as she had won two of the previous three Grand Slams and prior to the semi-finals, hadn’t dropped a single set. However, she was beaten in straight sets by eventual winner Venus Williams. Capriati came close to reaching the final in both the 2003 and 2004 editions. In 2003, Capriati faced eventual champion Justine Henin in the semi-finals and was serving for the match twice but ultimately lost 6-4, 5-7, 6-7. In what was her final Grand Slam appearance in the 2004 US Open, Capriati lost another three-set encounter to eventual runner-up Elena Dementieva 0-6, 6-2, 6-7.
