Rafael Nadal kicked off the month of June by winning an astonishing 14th French Open title in just 17 years, the tennis star extended one of his own impressive records even further. Darts, however, has an event dominance expert of its own.
The Spanish tennis sensation proving his dominance on the clay courts of Paris has got JR Lott and the team at betting.com wondering which other sporting legends have truly taken ownership of their favourite tournaments?
From the tennis court to the snooker table, it is safe to say that each and every sport is packed with great names who have had stellar careers.
But, with plenty of individual tournaments and trophies available in each sport, which stars have been able to make a name for themselves by dominating just one particular event?
1) – Phil Taylor – Darts World Championship & World Matchplay – 16 Titles
No darts player is more decorated than Phil ‘The Power’ Taylor. The Englishman dominated the darts world for more than two decades, collecting 16 World Championship wins in that time.
His sixteenth world title came in 2013, making him the oldest ever winner of the darts’ most sought-after prize.
Now if that sounds impressive, what about if I mention that he dominated the second most prestigious (PDC) darts event to an even greater degree.
Yes, The Power also won 16 World Matchplay titles. The World Matchpay is a purist’s event, with long formats and no set play bonus. The Blackpool crown is possibly more difficult to win than the World Championships. Yet, Taylor utterly ruled the event from 1995 onwards.
His 16 titles included five-in-a-row and seven-in-a-row spells and saw the Stoke man claim over a million £s in prize money.
Perhaps the greatest moment was his 2017 victory. It had seemed that Phil’s dominance was over and that MVG would dominate from now on. In Blackpool however, normal rules did not apply. The Power claimed his final major title, defeating Van Gerwen along the way, and equalled his tally of World Championships.
2) – Rafael Nadal – Tennis French Open – 14 Titles
The 22 Grand Slams won by Nadal in men’s tennis is a current world record, and this feat could not have been achieved without the Spaniard’s success in the French Open.
In the space of 17 years, Nadal has won 14 French Open titles, losing a total of just three matches on the clay courts of Paris in that time.
3) – Martina Navratilova – Tennis Wimbledon – 9 Titles
Before Federer ruled the Wimbledon court in the men’s tennis, the women’s game had been dominated by Prague-born American citizen Martina Navratilova, who won Wimbledon nine times between 1978 and 1990.
This included a dominant run between 1982 and 1987 in which the tennis star picked up six titles back to back.
4) – Roger Federer – Tennis Wimbledon – 8 Titles
While Nadal has mastered the clay courts of Paris, his old rival Federer rules the green grass of Wimbledon.
The Swiss won his first Wimbledon title in 2003, following that by winning five consecutive titles between then and 2007.
Winning his eighth Wimbledon in 2017 made Federer the oldest champion of the prestigious event – he was 35 years and 11 months old at the time.
5) – Michael Schumacher – Formula One World Championship – 7 Titles
Driving for Ferrari, legendary F1 racer, Schumacher won five consecutive titles between 2000 and 2004 to reach a then-world record-breaking seven titles.
The German had won his first two world titles in 1994 and 1995 while driving for Benetton.
6) – Jack Nicklaus or Tiger Woods – The Augusta Masters Tournament – 6 & 5 Titles
Often regarded as the greatest golfers of all time these two dominated golf’s most recognisable major.
Woods has put his claims to 15 major titles throughout his illustrious career, with his favourite event being The Masters – which he has won five times.
Woods won his first Green Jacket in 1997 and his fifth as recently as 2019. Winning the 2019 event by a single stroke, to put him one behind Jack Nicklaus’ record of six Masters titles.
——ENDS—–
Words: JR Lott and the team at betting.com
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