There have been so many great women players over the last 50 years, and this doesn't even take into consideration the great players from the early 20th century. Changes in fitness regimes, nutrition, and racket technology over the years have only served to complicate an already difficult task.
After pouring through countless statistical records and my own personal memory banks, I have come up with a list of the best female tennis players of all time. Here they are.
10. Justine Henin
Justin Henin | Source
- Born: June 1, 1982
Liege, Belgium - Resides: Brussels, Belgium
- Turned pro: 1999
- Retired: 2008, 2011
- Career prize money: $20,863,335
- 50 career titles
- 7 Grand Slam Singles Titles: 1 Australian, 4 French, 2 US Open
Known
for her mental and physical toughness, Justine Henin was one of the
most athletic women to ever play the game. Despite her small stature,
she packed a powerful punch and played a complete game that included a
powerful serve and a forehand shot that she hit with both power and
accuracy. Known as one of the best volleyers in the game, Henin was as
comfortable at the net as from the baseline.
In 2003, she achieved the number one ranking in the world, having won both the French Open and the US Open. In 2004, Henin won the Gold Medal at the Athens Olympics to go along with her first Australian Open title. She won seven Grand Slam titles in her career but retired abruptly in 2008 citing burnout from over twenty years of competitive tennis. A brief comeback in 2010 was short lived, and she retired for good in early 2011.
In 2003, she achieved the number one ranking in the world, having won both the French Open and the US Open. In 2004, Henin won the Gold Medal at the Athens Olympics to go along with her first Australian Open title. She won seven Grand Slam titles in her career but retired abruptly in 2008 citing burnout from over twenty years of competitive tennis. A brief comeback in 2010 was short lived, and she retired for good in early 2011.
9. Venus Williams
Venus Williams | Source
- Born: June 17, 1980
Lynwood, California - Resides: Palm Beach Gardens, Florida
- Turned pro: 1994
- Career prize money: $35,520,636
- 49 career titles
- 7 Grand Slam Singles Titles: 5 Wimbledon, 2 US Open
- Current active player
If
not for having to compete against her sister Serena, Venus Williams may
very well have had many more Grand Slam titles to her name. The sisters
have gone head-to-head in a Grand Slam final eight times with Serena
winning six of those matches.
While Venus’s career has been fraught with injuries, there is no doubt that in the early 2000s she was the woman to beat on tour. Between 2000 and 2001, Venus captured four of her seven Grand Slam victories. In 2002, she finally attained the number one ranking in the world, a spot she would capture on three separate occasions. Wimbledon has been Venus’s favorite court as she has won five titles there, the last coming in 2008.
Venus is back to playing at a high level after suffering through years of knee and hip problems. She started the 2014 season ranked number 47 in the world but has climbed back into the top twenty and is currently ranked number 9 in the world following her run to the 2017 Australian Open and Wimbledon final. A win at either of Grand Slam events would have made for a fitting cap to a long and very successful career.
While Venus’s career has been fraught with injuries, there is no doubt that in the early 2000s she was the woman to beat on tour. Between 2000 and 2001, Venus captured four of her seven Grand Slam victories. In 2002, she finally attained the number one ranking in the world, a spot she would capture on three separate occasions. Wimbledon has been Venus’s favorite court as she has won five titles there, the last coming in 2008.
Venus is back to playing at a high level after suffering through years of knee and hip problems. She started the 2014 season ranked number 47 in the world but has climbed back into the top twenty and is currently ranked number 9 in the world following her run to the 2017 Australian Open and Wimbledon final. A win at either of Grand Slam events would have made for a fitting cap to a long and very successful career.
8. Evonne Goolagong
Evonne Goolagong | Source
- Born: July 31, 1951
Griffith, New South Wales, Australia - Resides: Noosa Heads, Queensland, Australia
- Turned pro: 1968
- Retired: 1983
- Career prize money: $1,399,431
- 68 career titles
- 7 Grand Slam Singles Titles: 4 Australian, 1 French, 2 Wimbledon
- Inducted into Tennis Hall of Fame: 1988
Often
overlooked because she played during the Chris Everett and Martina
Navratilova era, Goolagong was the epitome of grace and beauty on the
court. Despite playing during one of the most competitive periods in
women’s tennis, Goolagong was still able to win seven Grand Slam titles
and in 1976 was ranked number one in the world.
She has the distinction of being the only mother since before World War I to have won Wimbledon, having won the title in 1980 after giving birth to her daughter in 1977.
The only Grand Slam title to elude her was the US Open, where she reached the finals in four consecutive years, 1973-1976.
She has the distinction of being the only mother since before World War I to have won Wimbledon, having won the title in 1980 after giving birth to her daughter in 1977.
The only Grand Slam title to elude her was the US Open, where she reached the finals in four consecutive years, 1973-1976.
7. Billie Jean King
Source
- Born: November 22, 1943
Long Beach, California - Resides: Chicago and New York
- Turned pro: 1968
- Retired: 1983
- Career prize money: $1,966,487
- 129 career titles
- 12 Grand Slam Singles Titles: 1 Australian, 1 French, 6 Wimbledon, 4 US Open
- Inducted into Tennis Hall of Fame: 1987
Who
can forget the weird and wacky battle of the sexes between Billie Jean
King and Bobby Riggs in 1973? Not only did King dispose of Mr. Riggs in
short order but she also dominated women’s tennis from the mid-1960s to
the mid-1970s.
Her hard-charging aggressive style of play was in sharp contrast to the stately ground game of Chris Evert who came along in 1972 to challenge King as the queen of women’s tennis. Nevertheless, King owned Wimbledon from 1966 to 1975, when she won the title six times.
Her hard-charging aggressive style of play was in sharp contrast to the stately ground game of Chris Evert who came along in 1972 to challenge King as the queen of women’s tennis. Nevertheless, King owned Wimbledon from 1966 to 1975, when she won the title six times.
6. Monica Seles
Monica Seles | Source
- Born: December 2, 1973
Novi Sad, SR Serbia, SFR Yugoslavia - Resides: Sarasota, Florida
- Turned pro: 1989
- Retired: 2008
- Career prize money: $14,891,762
- 53 career titles
- 9 Grand Slam Singles Titles: 4 Australian, 3 French, 2 US Open
- Inducted into Tennis Hall of Fame: 2009
Were
it not for the unfortunate on-court attack and stabbing by a deranged
fan in 1993, Monica Seles would certainly have gone on to win more Grand
Slam titles. Her epic battles with Steffi Graf were classics, and we
the fans were deprived of some great matches because of one fan's sick
obsession.
While Monica did return to tennis two years after the incident, she was never quite the same. To her credit, she did go on to win the 1996 Australian Open, her only post-attack Grand Slam victory. Monica continued to play until 2003 and officially retired in 2008.
There is no doubt that Monica Seles was the most dominant player from 1990 to 1992. During this time, she won seven of her nine Grand Slam Titles and in 1991 was the top-ranked woman in the world.
While Monica did return to tennis two years after the incident, she was never quite the same. To her credit, she did go on to win the 1996 Australian Open, her only post-attack Grand Slam victory. Monica continued to play until 2003 and officially retired in 2008.
There is no doubt that Monica Seles was the most dominant player from 1990 to 1992. During this time, she won seven of her nine Grand Slam Titles and in 1991 was the top-ranked woman in the world.
5. Margaret Court
Margaret Court | Source
- Born: July 16, 1942
Albury, New South Wales, Australia - Resides: Perth, Western Australia
- Turned pro: 1960
- Retired: 1977
- Career prize money approximately: $500,000
- 192 career titles
- 24 Grand Slam Singles Titles: 11 Australian, 5 French, 3 Wimbledon, 5 US Open
- Inducted into Tennis Hall of Fame: 1979
There
are many experts out there who feel that Margaret Court is the best
player of all time. With a record 24 Grand Slam singles titles, it’s
hard to argue. Add in her 19 doubles and 19 mixed doubles titles and
Court has a record 62 Major titles to her credit.
She was the first woman in the open era to win the singles Grand Slam in 1970, and she is one of only two women (Daniela Hantuchova being the other) to have won a Grand Slam in mixed doubles, which she did twice. Undoubtedly the best player in the 1960s to early 1970s, Court was the first woman to incorporate weights and fitness training into her routine. The result was a long and injury-free career.
She was the first woman in the open era to win the singles Grand Slam in 1970, and she is one of only two women (Daniela Hantuchova being the other) to have won a Grand Slam in mixed doubles, which she did twice. Undoubtedly the best player in the 1960s to early 1970s, Court was the first woman to incorporate weights and fitness training into her routine. The result was a long and injury-free career.
4. Chris Evert
Chris Evert | Source
- Born: December 21, 1954
Fort Lauderdale, Florida - Resides: Boca Raton, Florida
- Turned pro: 1972
- Retired: 1989
- Career prize money: $8,895,195
- 157 career titles
- 18 Grand Slam Singles Titles: 2 Australian, 7 French, 3 Wimbledon, 6 US Open
- Inducted into Tennis Hall of Fame: 1995
Was
there ever a player more graceful on the court than Chris Evert? She
was a machine from the baseline, and with that two-handed backhand shot,
she dominated women’s tennis from the mid-1970s into the early 1980s.
Evert still holds the record for reaching the most Grand Slam singles
finals with 34, and she managed to win 18 of them including every major
at least twice. When Martina Navratilova came along in the late 1970s,
it provided fans with a great on-court rivalry. Evert was the
year-ending number one player in the world for seven years and had a
career winning percentage in singles matches of over 90 percent.
3. Martina Navratilova
Martina Navratilova | Source
- Born: October 18, 1956
Prague, Czechoslovakia - Resides: Sarasota, Florida
- Turned pro: 1975
- Retired: 1994
- Career prize money: $21,626,089
- 167 career titles
- 18 Grand Slam Singles Titles: 3 Australian, 2 French, 9 Wimbledon, 4 US Open
- Inducted into Tennis Hall of Fame: 2000
One
of the toughest competitors to ever grace the court, Martina
Navratilova dominated women’s tennis from the late 1970s through a good
portion of the 1980s. Known for her extreme physical conditioning,
Martina brought the big serve and volley back to the women’s game.
She holds the open era record for career titles with 167 and has 59 total Grand Slam titles including singles, doubles, and mixed doubles. Martina also holds the record for career Wimbledon titles with an amazing nine championships. She will be remembered as one of the greatest doubles players ever, having won 31 grand Slam Doubles titles and 10 Grand Slam Mixed Doubles titles.
She holds the open era record for career titles with 167 and has 59 total Grand Slam titles including singles, doubles, and mixed doubles. Martina also holds the record for career Wimbledon titles with an amazing nine championships. She will be remembered as one of the greatest doubles players ever, having won 31 grand Slam Doubles titles and 10 Grand Slam Mixed Doubles titles.
2. Steffi Graf
Steffi Graf | Source
- Born: June 14, 1969
Mannheim, Baden-Wurttemberg, West Germany - Resides: Las Vegas, Nevada
- Turned pro: 1982
- Retired: 1999
- Career prize money: $21,891,306
- 107 career titles
- 22 Grand Slam Singles Titles: 4 Australian, 6 French, 7 Wimbledon, 5 US Open
- Inducted into Tennis Hall of Fame: 2004
Able
to win on all surfaces, Graff was a model of consistency throughout her
17-year career. Her record 377 weeks ranked as number one in the world
is a record for any player, male or female. In 1988, Graff became the
first player to achieve what is regarded as the calendar year Golden
Slam by winning all four majors plus the Olympic Gold Medal in the same
year, a remarkable feat.
From the late 1980s to the mid-1990s, there was no one better than Graf, and when she retired in 1999, she was still ranked number three in the world. Were it not for the long and storied career of Serena Williams the case would be made for Graf as the greatest of all-time. While many will continue to debate Steffi versus Serena as the greatest female player of all-time they were both incredible players who dominated their era and advanced women's tennis.
From the late 1980s to the mid-1990s, there was no one better than Graf, and when she retired in 1999, she was still ranked number three in the world. Were it not for the long and storied career of Serena Williams the case would be made for Graf as the greatest of all-time. While many will continue to debate Steffi versus Serena as the greatest female player of all-time they were both incredible players who dominated their era and advanced women's tennis.
1. Serena Williams
Serena Williams | Source
- Born: September 26, 1981
Saginaw, Michigan - Resides: Palm Beach Gardens, Florida
- Turned pro: 1995
- Career prize money: $84,463,131
- 72 career titles
- 23 Grand Slam Singles Titles: 7 Australian, 3 French, 7 Wimbledon, 6 US Open
- Current active player
One
of the strongest and most powerful women to ever play the game, Serena
Williams has certainly left her mark on tennis. Together, Serena and her
sister, Venus, have been a dominant force in women’s tennis since the
late 1990s. Together, they have won 14 Grand Slam Doubles titles. With
23 Grand Slam Singles titles including the 2017 Australian Open, Serena
now owns the open era record for Grand Slam singles titles by a tennis
player, male or female.
At the age of 35, Serena has regained the number one ranking in the world, a distinction that she first achieved back in 2002. Serena’s game has certainly withstood the test of time and competition. Her Grand Slam titles have come over an 18-year period starting in 1999, with her latest victory coming at the 2017 Australian Open.
I believe the case can now be made to elevate Serena to the greatest female tennis player of all-time. Her high level of play over a very long career combined with her 23-6 record in Grand Slam finals certainly makes the case convincing. No disrespect to Steffi Graf but Serena now deserves the distinction as greatest of all-time.
At the age of 35, Serena has regained the number one ranking in the world, a distinction that she first achieved back in 2002. Serena’s game has certainly withstood the test of time and competition. Her Grand Slam titles have come over an 18-year period starting in 1999, with her latest victory coming at the 2017 Australian Open.
I believe the case can now be made to elevate Serena to the greatest female tennis player of all-time. Her high level of play over a very long career combined with her 23-6 record in Grand Slam finals certainly makes the case convincing. No disrespect to Steffi Graf but Serena now deserves the distinction as greatest of all-time.
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