Tennis has seen some of the most remarkable athletes in the world and women’s tennis is no exception. From Serena Williams to Steffi Graf, Martina Navratilova to Chris Evert, and Margaret Court to Monica Seles, these females have left an indelible mark on the sport.
They have won numerous Grand Slam titles, dominated their peers, and had games that could translate into success in other eras.
Serena Williams has redefined power and athleticism on the court. Her 23 Grand Slam singles titles, coupled with her vocal advocacy for equality and social justice, have cemented her place as an icon of the sport and a role model for generations to come.
The tapestry of women's tennis is woven with threads of countless other remarkable players. From Margaret Court's 24 Grand Slam titles to Monica Seles's powerful comeback after a stabbing attack, each player has added their unique stroke to the grand narrative of the sport.
12. Evonne Goolagong
- Turned pro: 1968
- Retirement: 1983
- 68 career titles
- 7 Grand Slam Singles Titles: 4 Australian, 1 French, 2 Wimbledon
Evonne Goolagong won 7 Grand Slam singles titles, 6 Grand Slam doubles titles, and 1 Grand Slam mixed doubles title. She also held the world number 1 ranking in both singles and doubles.
She began playing tennis at the age of six and turned professional at the age of 19. She quickly rose to fame and won her first Grand Slam singles title at the French Open in 1971.
Evonne retired from professional tennis in 1983 with a career record of 704-165 in singles and 18-16 in doubles. She is widely regarded as one of the greatest tennis players of all time and has been inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame.
11. Caroline Wozniacki
- Turned pro: 19 July 2005
- Current active player
- 30 Career titles
- 1 Grand Slams Singles Titles: 1 Australian Open
Caroline Wozniacki won 30 singles titles including a Grand Slam title, a WTA Finals title, three Premier Mandatory titles, and three Premier 5 titles.
She was the winner of the 2018 Australian Open and the 2017 WTA Finals, and the runner-up at the 2009 US Open, the 2010 WTA Tour Championships, and the 2014 US Open.
Wozniacki was first ranked world number 1 tennis player by the WTA on 11 October 2010 and she also held the top spot for a total of 71 weeks.
10. Venus Williams
- Turned pro: 1994
- Current active player
- 49 career titles
- 7 Grand Slam Singles Titles: 5 Wimbledon, 2 US Open
Venus Williams was ranked world number 1 in singles by the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) three times for a total of 11 weeks. She won 7 Grand Slam singles titles and 14 Grand Slam doubles titles.
Venus became a professional tennis player in 1994 and won her first Grand Slam singles title at Wimbledon in 2000. She went on to win five more Wimbledon titles, as well as two US Open titles.
In addition to her success on the court, she has been involved in various philanthropic activities and she has been an advocate for equal pay for female tennis players.
9. Justine Henin
- Turned pro: 1999
- Retirement: 2008, 2011
- 50 career titles
- 7 Grand Slam Singles Titles: 1 Australian, 4 French, 2 US Open
Justine Henin won 7 Grand Slam singles titles, 2 Grand Slam doubles titles, and 1 Grand Slam mixed doubles title. She also held the world number 1 ranking in both singles and doubles.
Henin began playing tennis at the age of five and turned professional at the age of 16. She quickly rose to fame and won her first Grand Slam singles title at the French Open in 2003.
She won a total of 43 career titles and was known for her aggressive playing style and one-handed backhand. She retired from professional tennis in 2011 with a career record of 525-115 in singles and 47-35 in doubles.
8. Margaret Court
- Turned pro: 1960
- Retirement: 1977
- 192 career titles
- 24 Grand Slam Singles Titles: 11 Australian, 5 French, 3 Wimbledon, 5 US Open
Margaret Court won 24 Grand Slam singles titles, 19 Grand Slam doubles titles and 21 Grand Slam mixed doubles titles. Her 64 Grand Slam titles are a record for both male and female players.
She achieved a career Grand Slam in singles, doubles, and mixed doubles. She won more than half of the Grand Slam singles tournaments she played (24 of 47).
Moreover, her career singles win-loss record was 1177-106, for a winning percentage of 91.74% on all surfaces which is also a record. She won at least 100 singles matches in 1965, 1968, 1969, 1970, and 1973.
Court won more than 80% of her singles matches against top 10 players (297-73) and was the year-end top-ranked player seven times.
7. Billie Jean King
- Turned pro: 1968
- Retirement: 1983
- 129 career titles
- 12 Grand Slam Singles Titles: 1 Australian, 1 French, 6 Wimbledon, 4 US Open
Billie Jean King has won 12 Grand Slam singles titles, 16 Grand Slam doubles titles, and 11 Grand Slam mixed doubles titles. She has also held the world number 1 ranking in both singles and doubles.
She began playing tennis at the age of 11 and turned professional at the age of 17. She quickly rose to fame and won her first Grand Slam singles title at Wimbledon in 1966.
Moreover, her career was marked by several milestones. She won 20 career titles at Wimbledon, which is a record 3. She also won 13 U.S. Open titles, four at the French Open and two at the Australian Open.
6. Monica Seles
- Turned pro: 1989
- Retirement: 2008
- 53 career titles
- 9 Grand Slam Singles Titles: 4 Australian, 3 French, 2 US Open
Monica Seles won 9 major singles titles, eight of them as a teenager while representing Yugoslavia and the final one while representing the United States tennis.
Seles became the youngest-ever French Open champion at the age of 16 in 1990. Moreover, she went on to win eight major singles titles before her 20th birthday and was the year-end number 1 in 1991 and 1992.
She did not return to professional tennis for over two years after the stabbing. Though she enjoyed some success after returning in 1995, including victory at the 1996 Australian Open.
She played her last professional match at the 2003 French Open but did not officially retire until February 2008.
5. Martina Hingis
- Turned Pro: 1994
- Retirement: 2017
- 45 career titles
- 5 Grand Slam Singles Titles: 3 Australian Open, 1 Wimbledon, 1 US Open
Martina Hingis has won 5 Grand Slam singles titles, 13 Grand Slam doubles titles and 7 Grand Slam mixed doubles titles. She has also held the world number 1 ranking in both singles and doubles for a combined total of 209 weeks.
Hingis quickly rose to fame and became the youngest player to win a Grand Slam title in the 20th century when she won the women’s doubles title at Wimbledon in 1996 at the age of 15.
Furthermore, she went on to win four more Grand Slam singles titles, including three consecutive Australian Open titles from 1997 to 1999.
4. Chris Evert
- Turned pro: 1972
- Retirement: 1989
- 157 career titles
- 18 Grand Slam Singles Titles: 2 Australian, 7 French, 3 Wimbledon, 6 US Open
Chris Evert won a total of 18 Grand Slam singles titles, including a record 7 French Open titles and a joint-record six US Open titles.
Evert also won three Grand Slam doubles titles. Furthermore, her career-winning percentage in singles matches of 89.97% is the highest in the history of women’s tennis.
She was ranked world number 1 in singles for seven years and her career highlights include a 125-match winning streak on clay which is the best record on clay of any player for any single surface.
Not only that but she also won 55 straight matches in 1974, a record that held up for more than 10 years.
3. Martina Navratilova
- Turned pro: 1975
- Retirement: 1994
- 167 career titles
- 18 Grand Slam Singles Titles: 3 Australian, 2 French, 9 Wimbledon, 4 US Open
Martina Navratilova won 59 Grand Slam titles which is the most in the Open Era and the second-most of all time.
Navratilova is one of the three tennis players along with Margaret Court and Doris Hart to have accomplished a career Grand Slam in singles, doubles, and mixed doubles.
She was ranked world number 1 in singles by the Women’s Tennis Association for a total of 332 weeks which is second only to Steffi Graf.
Not only that but she is the only player in history to have held the top spot in both singles and doubles for over 200 weeks. Here are some of the most significant records held by Martina:
- Most Grand Slam titles (singles, doubles, and mixed doubles combined) in the Open Era: 59
- Most doubles titles in the Open Era: 177
2. Steffi Graf
- Turned pro: 1982
- Retirement: 1999
- 107 career titles
- 22 Grand Slam Singles Titles: 4 Australian, 6 French, 7 Wimbledon, 5 US Open
Steffi Graf won 22 Grand Slam singles titles which is the second-most in women’s singles won since the start of the Open Era in 1968. She is the only singles player to have achieved a Grand Slam across three surfaces (grass, clay, and hard courts).
Furthermore, Graf was ranked world number 1 in singles by the Women’s Tennis Association for a record 377 total weeks.
She won 107 singles titles which ranks her third on the WTA’s all-time list after Martina Navratilova (167 titles) and Chris Evert (157 titles).
Steffi has been involved in various philanthropic activities including the establishment of Children for Tomorrow, a non-profit foundation that assists children who have been traumatized by war or other crises.
1. Serena Williams
- Turned pro: 1995
- Retirement: September 2022
- 73 career titles
- 23 Grand Slam Singles Titles: 7 Australian, 3 French, 7 Wimbledon, 6 US Open
Serena Williams was ranked world number 1 in singles by the Women's Tennis Association (WTA) for 319 weeks, including a joint-record 186 consecutive weeks. She won 23 Grand Slam women's singles titles, the most in the Open Era and the second-most of all time.
Not only that but Serena is the only player to accomplish a career Golden Slam in both singles and doubles. Turning professional tennis player in 1995, she won her first major singles title at the 1999 US Open.
From the 2002 French Open to the 2003 Australian Open, she was dominant and won all four major singles titles to achieve a non-calendar-year Grand Slam.
