Tennis player watchability rankings: Part 3

Welcome to the Part 2 of the Tennismash Watchability Rankings! Here staff writers Bede Briscomb and Matt Trollope rank forty star tennis players on their entertainment value. Today we’ll be running through Tier 2. The finale will drop tomorrow.

You can find the criteria here.

Tier 2

14. Venus Williams

Trollope: An enduring legend. The struggles Venus has overcome to return to the top five at age 37 are immense. Her power, presence, experience, fame, fighting qualities, fashion designs, business and political interests make her an icon and an inspiration to millions. Make time to watch her while she’s still around.

13. Victoria Azarenka

Briscomb: Extremely aggressive playstyle underlined by a fierce, unrelenting shriek. What’s not to love?

12. Stan Wawrinka

Trollope: Few players elicit awe from spectators the way Stan does when he unfurls that magnificent one-handed backhand. Barrel-chested and immensely powerful, his game, when flowing, is a sight to behold. The respect he’s earned by managing to bloom late and win three major titles in the Big Four era cannot be underestimated.

11. Juan Martin del Potro

Briscomb: Very similar to Keys is Delpo. They both show up in majors, possess the best forehands in their respective tours, sponsored by Nike, have tremendous fighting spirits and are beloved by everyone. The only difference is that Juan Martin is older, and therefore has more achievements under his belt.

Related: Tennis player watchability rankings Part 2 

10. Garbine Muguruza

Trollope: She has all the ingredients to be the WTA’s Queen Bee post-Serena. Two major titles. A commanding on-court presence. Power and intensity. Global appeal and marketability. A fashion collaboration with Stella McCartney and millions of followers on social media. She plays a big game and loves the big stage. And she’s not shy of an opinion. “Garbi” is the complete package.

9. Grigor Dimitrov

Briscomb: Soft touch, comfortable anywhere on the court, athletic, classy and stylish. Whenever Grigor playing, I’m locked in; don’t even need a second screen.

8. Alexander Zverev

Trollope: We’ve heard for a long time now that Zverev is the successor to Federer, Nadal and Djokovic at the top. While that’s a ton of pressure to heap on a young player, he seems prepared. A rangy athlete with a big game, Sascha has the flowing hair, edgy fashion and x-factor of a superstar in the making, and plays with an expressiveness and verve, gathering more and more fans with every event he plays.

ICYMI: Who wins a Grand Slam first, Nick or Sascha? 

7. Novak Djokovic

Briscomb: Novak is flawless, but where’s the fun in that? When you tune into a match, I want that sense of unpredictability, the feeling that a player might self-combust or play so well that you’re not sure if he or she is even human. When he’s playing someone on his level, sure, Novak is box office, but against anyone else, the Serb dominates by forcing his opponent into an error after a long rally time-and-time again.

6. Jelena Ostapenko

Trollope: What doesn’t capture your attention? There’s incredibly powerful ball striking, a fearless on-court attitude, plus sass, swagger and a hilariously expressive face. And now, a Grand Slam title under her belt. Ostapenko proved her French Open victory was no fluke with the results she produced afterward. Now entrenched in the top 10, she’s one of the game’s newest stars and will generate interest.