Greatest Women’s Tennis Players of All Time
It is very hard and subjective job to select the best female tennis players. Having this in mind we will mention only some of them.
Martina Navratilova
Running away from communist Czechoslovakia Martina certainly lived an American dream, dominating women’s tennis with 167 titles and has 59 total Grand Slams – 18 in singles, 31 in doubles, and 10 in mixed doubles. Through late 1970’s and 1980’s she reintroduced the big serve and volley to the women’s game. With 9 Wimbledon titles she holds the record among women.
Steffi Graf
Through her 17-year career, Graffi showed a certain consistency, unlike her husband Andre Agassi. 1999 was her year, when she won all 4 major tournaments and Olympic Gold. With 377 weeks as number one in the world, 22 Grand Slams and Olympic Gold Medal Steffi entered Tennis Hall of Fame in 2004. At the moment of her retirement in 1999, she was number 3 in the world.
Justine Henin
Equally good on the baseline as well as on the net, Henin was one of the most complete female tennis players ever. Her mental and physical strength helped her win 7 Grand Slams in 10 years of her professional career. After winning both the French Open and US Open in 2003, she reached number 1 in the world. A year later, Henin won the OlympicGold Medal as well as her first Australian Open title.
Venus Williams
The older Williams sister turned pro in 1994, and by now has 7 Grand Slam titles. Meeting her sister in 8 Grand Slam finals left her with only two victories. In the early 2000’s Venus was at the peak of her career. In 2002 she was finally number one in the world. She especially proved herself on the grass court by winning 5 Wimbledon titles. However, endless knee and hip injuries obstructed her life in top 10.
Serena Williams
The younger Williams sister certainly made a lasting impression on all tennis enthusiasts. She proved to be one of the strongest and most powerful women on the tennis court, and dominated the tennis scene since the late 1990’s. Serena won 22 Grand Slam titles in 17-year period, and it seems like years have nothing on Serena as she continues to conquer the courts at the age of 34.
Billie Jean King
She caught attention of the audience back in 1973, when she participated so called Battle of the Sexes, when she played against Bobby Riggs. She dominated female tennis scene from the mid-1960’s to the mid-1970’s, during that period Billy Jean won the Wimbledon six times, and won 12 Grand Slam titles in total.
Monica Seles
Seles, turned pro in 1989, and it was one of the most promising careers in women tennis. However, an incident that occurred in 1993, when a crazy fan stabbed Monica on court, changed its course. She did win 9 Grand Slam titles but after attack was never the same, winning only one Grand Slam. However, she continued to play until and officially retired in 2008.
Chris Evert
With 18 Grand Slam titles Evert was one of the most fascinating players of her time. She dominated the tennis courts from the mid-1970’s into the early 1980’s, reaching the amazing 34 Grand Slam finals in that period. On-court rivalry with Navratilova provided tennis audience with amazing tennis. She was number one at the end of the year for 7 years.