Neil Guthrie
Sweat-soaked courts, shattered records, roaring crowds, women’s tennis has it all. These women have not only defined their era but have also touched our hearts with their incredible journeys. But who are the true queens of the game? According to over 85,000 fan votes on Ranker, these are the best women’s tennis players of all time.
Serena Williams
Serena Williams stands as a star in the world of tennis. She is the only player to get a career Golden Slam in singles and doubles. Her career achievements include 23 Grand Slam singles titles, 14 Grand Slam doubles with her sister Venus, and 4 Olympic gold medals.
Steffi Graf
Graceful by nature, Steffi Graf’s reign in tennis was something special. The German superstar held the world No. 1 ranking for a record 377 weeks and claimed 107 singles titles. In 1988, Graf won all 4 Grand Slam tournaments and an Olympic gold medal.
Martina Navratilova
Serving up a storm for over three decades, Martina Navratilova’s career saw an exceptional 59 major titles across singles, doubles, and mixed doubles; Navratilova’s versatility was matched only by her endurance and her singles career has seen 18 Grand Slam titles and 8 WTA tour championships.
Chris Evert
Chris Evert’s career spanned 19 seasons, during which she bagged 18 Grand Slam singles titles and finished as the year-end world No. 1 singles player seven times. Her clay court skill was particularly noteworthy, with a staggering 125-match winning streak on the surface between 1973 and 1979.
Monica Seles
Before her 20th birthday, Seles had already secured eight Grand Slam titles, becoming the youngest-ever French Open champion at 16. Her career, which includes nine Grand Slam singles titles, was tragically interrupted by an on-court attack in 1993. Seles later returned to tennis and won another major championship in 1996.
Margaret court
The Australian powerhouse, Margaret Court, tops the Grand Slam with 24 singles titles, a record that still stands. From 1960 to 1977, Court’s career saw her amass an astounding 64 Grand Slam titles across singles and doubles. In 1970, She achieved the rare calendar-year Grand Slam in singles.
Martina Hingis
Martina Hingis stepped into the spotlight with finesse. In 1997, she won the Australian Open at just 16 years and three months old and became the youngest to win the Grand Slam singles in the 20th century. Hingis dominated the late 1990s and captured five Grand Slam singles titles.
Billie Jean King
Billie Jean King’s impact on tennis extends beyond her impressive on-court achievements. She was instrumental in establishing the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) and fighting for equal prize money. Throughout her career, her titles included 12 Grand Slam singles and 27 more titles across doubles and mixed doubles.
Justine Henin
Standing at just 5 ‘5, Justine Henin proved that dynamite comes in small packages. The Belgian star’s one-handed backhand is regarded as one of tennis’s most elegant and effective shots. Henin captured 7 Grand Slam singles titles and won 43 WTA singles titles in total.
Venus Williams
With 7 Grand Slam singles titles, including five Wimbledon championships, Venus Williams became the first African American woman to achieve the world No. 1 ranking in singles in the Open Era. She holds 49 WTA Tour singles titles, 14 Grand Slam doubles, and four Olympic gold medals.