Esther Vergeer

Esther Vergeer is a Dutch former wheelchair tennis player who won seven Paralympic gold medals and 21 consecutive Grand Slam singles titles.

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2000 Summer Paralympics: The Paralympic Games held in Sydney, Australia, from 18 to 29 October 2000. Vergeer won her first Paralympic singles gold medal at these Games.
Wheelchair tennis: A form of tennis in which athletes use sport wheelchairs and the ball may bounce twice. Vergeer's career became the sport's clearest benchmark for sustained excellence.
Maaike Smit: A Dutch wheelchair tennis player and Paralympic medalist. Smit partnered with Vergeer in doubles, including their 2004 Paralympic gold.
Martina Navratilova: A Czech-American former tennis player with 18 Grand Slam singles titles and 31 women's doubles titles. Her open-tennis records offer a useful comparison with Vergeer's sustained singles dominance.
2004 Summer Paralympics: The Paralympic Games held in Athens, Greece, from 17 to 28 September 2004. Vergeer defended her singles title and won doubles gold with Maaike Smit.
ITF Wheelchair Tennis Tour: The international circuit of wheelchair tennis tournaments governed by the International Tennis Federation. Vergeer's Grand Slam titles and world ranking were earned within this competitive system.
Diede de Groot: A Dutch wheelchair tennis player who has won multiple Grand Slam and Paralympic titles. De Groot followed Vergeer as a leading Dutch figure in women's wheelchair tennis.
Novak Djokovic: A Serbian tennis player who has won a record number of men's Grand Slam singles titles. His long run at the top of open tennis provides a different measure of sustained dominance.
2008 Summer Paralympics: The Paralympic Games held in Beijing, China, from 6 to 17 September 2008. Vergeer won singles and doubles gold, extending her Paralympic winning streak.
International Tennis Federation: The international governing body for tennis, including wheelchair tennis. The federation sanctions the tournaments and rankings that frame her career record.