With tennis slowly getting back on the rise, the work of Carlos Alcaraz, Jannik Sinner, and Iga Swiatek has gripped fans and once again made tennis the sport to watch.
With the era of Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, Andy Murray, and Novak Djokovic coming to a close, the top 10 male tennis players of all time were made, and although it is not easy to compare different styles and eras, an accurate list was produced. Now, on the flip side, it is time to rank the top 10 female tennis players of all time.
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Top 10 female tennis players of all time |
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|---|---|---|---|
|
Position |
Name |
Nationality |
Grand Slams |
|
1. |
Serena Williams |
American |
23 |
|
2. |
Steffi Graf |
German |
22 |
|
3. |
Martina Navratilova |
Czech |
18 |
|
4. |
Margaret Court |
Australian |
24 |
|
5. |
Chris Evert |
American |
18 |
|
6. |
Monica Seles |
American |
9 |
|
7. |
Billie Jean King |
American |
12 |
|
8. |
Venus Williams |
American |
7 |
|
9. |
Justine Henin |
Belgian |
7 |
|
10. |
Martina Hingis |
Swiss |
5 |
Starting off the top 10 we have Martina Hingis. Hingis enjoyed a career that spanned over two decades and saw her win 45 career titles, as well as five Grand Slam singles titles. Primarily working within the doubles realm of tennis, an early retirement in 2003 saw the birth of an amazing comeback, as the Swiss star finally retired in 2017 off the back of three Grand Slam doubles titles.
A player infamous for her power despite her size, Justine Henin reached the pinnacle of tennis in 2003 as she was ranked number one in the world. A career that saw her secure 50 career titles, with seven of those being Grand Slam singles titles, the Belgian had a short but successful career, with burnout getting the better of her, as she retired just 11 years into her professional career in 2011.
One-half of the immensely talented Williams sisters, Venus, the older of the two, was almost unlucky to be playing in an era where her sister was playing, as it limited just how much she could win. Despite this, Venus has still won seven Grand Slam titles, with four of those coming between 2000 and 2001, at a moment in time when she was unstoppable. Still playing to this day, it is safe to say that whenever Venus decides to retire, she will forever be remembered as one of the best to ever do it.
A player who turned pro in the same year as many greats, such as Evonne Goolagong, King had an era of domination that spanned nearly 10 years, as she made the 1960s-70s her era, most famously winning Wimbledon six times between 1966 and 1975. Winning a jaw-dropping 129 career titles, and 12 Grand Slam singles titles, Jean King’s aggressive game was a much-needed injection of change into the women’s game back then.
For all the work Seles put onto the court, her career will forever be remembered for that moment in 1993, when an obsessed fan of her rival ran onto the court and stabbed the Yugoslavian-born star. It remains one of tennis’ biggest “what if’s”, as to just how successful Seles could have gone on to become, but regardless, she still had a career that boasts 53 titles, and nine singles Grand Slam titles, with seven of those coming between 1990 and 1992. A member of the tennis Hall of Fame, her battles with Steffi Graf were must-watch classics.
Having mentioned Billie Jean King already, it would be remiss if one of her biggest rivals wasn’t on the list, with Evert making her way to fifth. Debuting in 1972, Evert threatened to dominate tennis from the get-go, with her career leading her to 157 career titles, and 18 Grand Slam singles titles. Having won every major at least twice, she holds the record for reaching the most Grand Slam finals, with 34 appearances, 18 of those leading to a victory. Winning more than 90% of her singles matches in her career, Evert found herself in the tennis Hall of Fame in 1995.
A surname fitting for any tennis player, Court holds the record of having 24 Grand Slam singles titles to her name, a record which sees many believe she is the greatest of all time. Playing tennis throughout the 60s and into the 70s, her 192 career titles, and near-20-year career, is dedicated to her off-the-court routine of fitness and gym, with her being seen as a trailblazer for rest and recovery in the world of tennis.
Born in Czechoslovakia, Navratilova had a healthy 20-year career in which she won 167 career titles, with 18 Grand Slam singles titles. A 2000 entrant into the tennis Hall of Fame, her dominance throughout the 80s sees her hold the record for most Open Era career titles. Open Era referring to 1968 onwards, she also enjoyed an incredibly successful doubles career, with 31 Grand Slam doubles titles, and 10 Grand Slam mixed doubles titles.
Having been mentioned as one of the rivals of Monica Seles, Graf finds herself at the number two spot, with her ability to thrive on all surfaces enabling her to a have a long and successful career. She holds the record for the longest stint as a world number one, with a 377-week reign, with her 22 Grand Slam singles titles not even being her most impressive feat, as Graf found herself as the first-ever Golden Slam champion, meaning she won all four majors, and an Olympic gold all within the same year. A career deserving of her 2004 entry into the tennis Hall of Fame, Graf will forever be known for advancing women’s tennis.
To the surprise of not so many, the number one female tennis player of all time is unanimously agreed upon as being Serena Williams. The younger sister of the aforementioned Venus, Serena enjoyed a much more fruitful career, with not only 73 career titles, but 23 Grand Slam singles titles. Serena and Venus also dominated the doubles game together, but it is Serena’s singles career that sees her take the number one spot. With her success taking place over an 18-year period, she was always capable of adapting and overcoming new competition. Retiring in 2022, her Grand Slam final record of 23-10 will go down as one of the greatest achievements in tennis history.
