‘Never Played Anyone..’- 61-Year-Old American Tennis Legend Downplays Own Skill as She Reveals Startling Insecurities Owing to Chris Evert and Martina Navratilova’s Dominance

The Open Era in tennis has witnessed legends like Martina Navratilova, Chris Evert, and Seffi Graf. They divided titles among each other consistently for almost two decades. They also hold the record of being on top of the WTA rankings and winning over 100 matches as WTA No. 1. They have created a bubble that made other players impossible to penetrate.

The world was busy singing praises for them, while a legend who rose to power around the same time remained in the background, or that is how she felt. Pam Shriver spilled beans on the same recently, when she thought she wasn’t enough. She made unsettling revelations about whom she compared herself to and how that affected her.

Despite her glory, Pam Shriver felt fragile among her colleagues

In a Spotify podcast hosted by Craig Shapiro, the American opened up about the time when she felt vulnerable. Shriver was a guest on the recent episode of ‘The Craig Shapiro Tennis Podcast,’ and she talked all about her career, off-court life, and success. When Shapiro stated that the tennis legend’s journey has been amazing, despite all her struggles, Shriver recalled horrific feelings.

The 61-year-old said, “I wasn’t quite as good as the champions of that era. I’ll just name three that I ran into in semis and or quarters of majors, often Chrissy, Martina, and Steffi Graf. Yeah, in for me the timing of my career, those were my big three that I bumped into.” She revealed that she perceived herself as an unsung champion and even named a few of them.

The 111 doubles titles winner revealed, “So I look at me as like the Berdych, Ferrer, Tsonga of my particular window because I got back to a lot of semis. I never played anyone in a semi-finals of a major that wasn’t a future Hall of Famer.” None of the players Shriver mentioned had won a Grand Slam singles in their career, but all of them were once Top-5 of the ATP, just like her.

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However, none of these ATP players enjoyed a triumphant doubles career like Shriver and her long-time doubles partner. Their record passed the test of time as none of the doubles partners in the Open Era managed even to come close to their number of titles.

Pam Shriver and Martina Navratilova defined WTA Tennis doubles

Shriver has achieved numerous records in her career. Though it is hard to pick the best, a record she shared with fellow American legend still stands tall and unbeaten. Navratilova, who once partnered with Evert, later picked Shriver as her doubles partner, and the duo’s record was unbeaten, even by Serena Williams and Venus Williams.

The 1988 Seoul Olympic doubles gold medalist shares a 390-25 record of win-loss with Navratilova. They won all 4 Grand Slams in 1983, emerging as the only players ever in doubles to hold a Calendar Year Grand Slam. They also boast a winning streak of 108 in doubles matches, which is more than the singles winning streak of the 66-year-old.

Interestingly, it was the 7-time singles majors’ finalist who beat Navratilova, the then WTA No. 1, to reach the semi-finals of the US Open. Shriver was just 16 years old when she achieved this feat and has been unstoppable ever since. The former WTA No. 3 is also the one to end one of the longest singles win streak of 41 matches, held by her rival and doubles partner, Navratilova.

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Pam Shriver did not win a Grand Slam in singles, but she is a legend who fought against most Hall-of-Fame players in her career. She only competed against the best and is a dangerous opponent and rival on-court. Despite all the heavy burdens, she carried herself with grace and never once got carried out by her emotions. For this, she deserves all the appreciation and reverence.