Numerous phenomenal female tennis players have graced the court over the years, with seven amassing a total of ten or more Grand Slam singles titles.
These legends have left an indelible mark on tennis and have inspired countless young players.
With 12 Grand Slam titles, Billie-Jean King deserves to be recognized. She did a great deal, both on and off the court, to advance women’s tennis.
She competed in the 1973 Battle of the Sexes, which was recently adapted into a film starring Steve Carell and Emma Stone.
Other great tennis players include Helen Wills. From 1927 to 1933, she went on a 180-match winning streak in singles play, during which she won 19 championships.
The American was, without a doubt, the best of her time. She was not exactly a media darling, but her achievements are worthy of their own profile.
Our list of the top five female tennis players of all time includes five current players who stand out for their incredible consistency in winning major titles.
Chris Evert
The record for most Grand Slam singles final appearances belongs to Chris Evert, who made 34 and won 18.
If not for Martina Navratilova, she would have reached the 20s on that last hurdle.
When three of her four Grand Slams were still played on grass, she was almost ahead of her time with a metronomic two-handed backhand that could flatten the best serve and volley players.
From 1975-1978, Evert won four consecutive US Opens, losing only one set in 25 victories.
She was known as “The Ice Princess” because of her ability to maintain laser-like focus under pressure.
Her physical prowess helped reinforce the safety net.
In the 1970s and 1980s, she was a trailblazer for the era’s powerful backcourt hitters.
There was no way to break her willpower, either.
Martina Navratilova
The number of Grand Slams that Navratilova won in her career is staggering. She had an incredible record of 18 major singles titles and 41 doubles titles.
She had some terrifying home runs of victory. In 1984, she went on a winning streak of 74 matches, during which she won 13 WTA titles.
During her career, she had several remarkable streaks, including ones of 86-1 and 90-3, and a stretch in which she reached 23 consecutive singles finals.
What set Navratilova apart was her dedication to weight training and healthy eating.
In many ways, she was revolutionary. Her formidable serve and volley game, combined with her incredible court coverage, left many of her opponents unable to keep up.
She set a record by winning nine Wimbledon championships, in addition to four US Opens, three Australian Opens, and two French Opens, despite the fact that clay was her least preferred surface.
Steffi Graf
In the 1988 Wimbledon final, the German lost only three games to Martina Navratilova over the final two sets, signaling the arrival of a new era in women’s tennis.
Graf was ranked No. 1 for a record 377 consecutive weeks, and in the same year she won the first-ever modern Grand Slam, Wimbledon, U.S. Open, and Olympic singles titles.
Graf, who was born in Mannheim, Germany, won 22 of the 31 Grand Slam tournaments she entered, including seven consecutive French Open finals between 1995 and 1999.
In the four major singles tournaments, she won an incredible 282 of 316 matches.
Her inside-out forehand was her most lethal weapon.
A total of five US Opens, six French Opens, seven Wimbledons, and four Australian Opens are among her many trophies.
Chris Evert has claimed that Steffi Graf is the best tennis player overall. While Martina was more successful on faster courts, I had more success on slower courts before Steffi came along and dominated on both types of courts.
Serena Williams
A lot of the spotlight in “King Richard” is on Venus Williams as she makes her debut on the WTA Tour at the tender age of 14.
Serena sits back and waits for her to come in, and she is never filmed playing a professional match. The future will belong to Serena, and Richard is aware of this. So, that explains that…
The younger sibling amassed a total of 73 singles championships, 23 of which were Grand Slam victories.
Even though she was supposedly past her prime, six of her ten losses occurred in finals.
Combined with Venus, Serena has won 14 of the last 15 major doubles titles.
She is the only woman to have ever won the Australian Open and the Wimbledon Championships after coming back from a match point deficit in both tournaments.
Her drive to win at all costs is her strongest suit.
Margaret Court
While her opinions are divisive, no one can dispute Margaret Court’s prowess on the tennis court.
She served hard, hit a solid volley, and put in impressive effort at the gym.
She was so committed to her sport that she was given the nickname “Aussie Amazon” for returning to the court in peak form after having children.
In a rather blunt statement, the Australian said, “After having the first baby, I won three of the four Slams. “And Serena hasn’t won a Grand Slam since.”
The cumulative effect of these factors was to increase the difficulty level for the opposition.
Her record in singles Grand Slam competition is unmatched. Between 1960 and 1973, she won 24 of 29 matches, including 11 of 12 in the Open Era’s intense competition.
Including the 21 major titles won in mixed doubles and the 19 won in doubles, the total number of major titles won is 64. I can’t even!
As many as 12 majors were won by Court, and he did so at least twice. Including both her amateur and professional careers, she has a combined record of 1,180-107, for a staggering 92% winning percentage.
Results: Which Female Tennis Star Do You Think Was the Best?
Even as she approached her forties, Serena continued to make it to the final stages of tournaments, but in her last four major losses, she failed to win a single set. If you’re interested in betting on tennis, be sure to check out our “Tennis Betting Guide” for tips and strategies to improve your odds of success.
Margaret Court’s incredible record of near invincibility still stands as the bar to beat.
