10 of the greatest women's tennis players

Women's tennis has been blessed with countless champions over the years, who became legends of the game. So here is a list of 10 greatest women's players in the history of tennis.

Before we begin, let us keep in mind that the beginning of Open Era didn’t affect women's tennis as much as the men's tennis. So we are including players like Margaret Court and Billie Jean King in this list who played half of their tennis before Open Era began. But we have to exclude players like Maureen Connolly (9 Grand Slams) from early 1950s, Helen Wills Moody (19 Grand Slams) and Suzanne Lenglen (8 Grand Slams) from 1930s because there are not many sources for proper analysis of their game, Thus it would be unjust to rate them with their successors.

We are only taking performances in singles into consideration. So we have to overlook Navratilova’s doubles partner Pam Shriver's incredible doubles record. Similarly, we have to leave out other doubles champions like Margaret Court, Martina Hingis, the Williams sisters and other incredible doubles players. Having said that, let us begin the countdown.

10. Venus Williams

Career highlights

Grand Slam titles: 7

Career Singles Titles: 49

Career Win % : 77

Weeks as world No. 1 : 11

1 WTA Finals title and Sydney Olympic Gold

35 matches winning streak in 2000

Venus turned pro in 1994 at the age of just 14 and 24 years later she is still winning matches at the age of 38. She is still among the top players on tour. Her rivalry with Serena is one of the few good rivalries in women’s tennis in the current century.

Her speed on the court is lightning quick. The Sydney Olympic Gold medallist has a strong serve and a great forehand which make her great from the baseline. The five-time Wimbledon champion's style of play is most suitable for grass.

9. Martina Hingis

Career Highlights

Grand Slam Titles: 5

Career Singles Titles: 43

Career Win % : 80

Weeks as World No 1: 209

2 WTA Finals Titles

80 consecutive weeks as No 1

Hingis turned pro at the age of just 14 and challenged greats like Graf, Seles and Vicario. At the age of 16, she reached the final of all four Grand Slams in 1997, winning 3 of them. The five-time Grand Slam champion was one of the best movers on the court and one of the smartest players on the tour.

8. Justine Henin

Career Highlights

Grand Slam Titles: 7

Career Singles Titles: 43

Career Win % : 82

Weeks as No 1: 117

2 WTA Finals titles and 1 Olympic gold in 2004

This petite Belgian champion was known for her fighting spirit on the court. The seven-time Grand Slam winner reached the top of the game at a very young age. Justine won 2 of her 3 consecutive French Open titles without dropping a single set.

She still holds the record of winning 40 consecutive sets at Roland-Garros. But Justine had to take a break from the game due to her injuries at the age of just 26. She came back and played some good tennis reaching the final of the 2010 Australian Open. Her flawless one-handed backhand is among the best in the history of the game.

7. Monica Seles

Career Highlights

Grand Slam Titles: 9

Career Singles Titles: 53

Career Win % : 83

Weeks as No 1: 178

3 WTA Finals titles

91 consecutive weeks as No 1

8 Consecutive Grand Slam Finals (winning 7)

Monica was predicted to become the greatest tennis player of all time after she won 8 Grand Slams before turning 20. The three-time Roland-Garros champion became and still is the youngest player to win the title at the age of 16.

And if she wouldn't have been attacked by that crazy fan, it was quite probable that she could have indeed become the greatest of all time. Monica never fully recovered from that incident, winning only one Slam title after her comeback. Her double-handed forehand was perhaps the most unusual shot in tennis history, which made her equally dangerous from both sides of the court.

6. Billie Jean King

Career Highlights

Grand Slam Titles: 12

Career Singles Titles: 129

Career Win % : 82

4 Fed cup Titles

6 year-end No 1 singles ranking

Billie has been a champion not just on the court, but off the court as well. The 12-time Grand Slam champion is the founder of Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) and an advocate of gender equality in tennis. Besides winning 129 singles titles on the women’s tour, she also won the epic 'Battle of the Sexes' match against Bobby Riggs in straight sets. She was and always will be the true icon of women’s tennis.

5. Serena Williams

Career Highlights

Grand Slam Titles: 23*

Career Singles Titles: 72

Career Win % : 85

Weeks as World No 1 : 319

WTA finals Titles : 5

Record 186 Consecutive Weeks as No 1

Serena has dominated women's tennis of the current decade, winning 12 Majors in the span of 8 years. With 23 Slams in her bag, Serena is very likely to break Margaret Court's record of most Grand Slam titles.

Serena deserves an explanation for being ranked so low in this list, considering her record. She is ranked lower because of the lack of competition during her success in recent years. Serena's last competitive rival was probably Kim Clijsters and it’s been 6 years since Kim's retirement.

4. Chris Evert

Career Highlights

Grand Slam Titles: 18

Career Singles Titles: 157

Career Win % : 90

Weeks as World No 1: 260

Tour Finals Titles: 4

Record 13 consecutive years winning at least one Slam

113 consecutive weeks as world No 1

56-match winning streak

Evert became an instant sensation when she turned pro in 1972. The 18-time Grand Slam champion reached the final of 34 Slams. Evert made at least the semi-finals of 52 Majors, out of 56 Slams she played, which makes her the most consistent tennis player of all time, male or female. Her passing shots from both sides of the court are still in the memories of every tennis fan.

3. Martina Navratilova

Career Highlights

Grand Slam Titles: 18

Career Singles Titles: 167

Career Win % : 87

Weeks as world No 1: 332

Tour Finals Titles: 8

Longest ever 74-match winning streak (13 titles)

156 Consecutive weeks as World no 1

Navratilova was perhaps the most hard-working tennis player of all time. The 18-time Major winner changed women’s tennis forever with her physical transformation. Martina also reached the final of 14 year-end championships, winning 8 of them. Her rivalry with Evert is regarded as one of the greatest rivalries of all time in all of sports.

2. Margaret Court

Career Highlights

Grand Slam Titles: 24

Career Singles title: 192

Career Win % : 91

Calendar Year Slam in 1970

57-match winning streak

Most Grand Slam singles titles

Well, what do you expect from a tennis player whose last name is court? The 11-time Australian Open champion has stats which only few players can dream of. Besides 24 Grand Slam titles, she also has an impeccable 91% career win percentage.

Her lightning fast speed on the court with her wide reach on both sides of the court won her 192 career titles. Her 1970 Wimbledon final against Billie Jean King is one of the best Grand Slam finals of all time.

1. Steffi Graf

Career Highlights

Grand Slam Titles: 22

Career Singles Titles: 107

Career Win % : 89

Weeks as World No 1: 377

Tour Finals titles: 5

Record 31 Grand Slam finals

Calendar Year Slam in 1988

Record 186 consecutive Weeks as No 1

66-match winning streak

Olympic Gold in 1988

Steffi’s supremacy over other players can be easily understood by her numbers. The 22-time Grand Slam champion is the only player in history to have won every Major at least 4 times. Her consistency and adaptability on different surfaces is unparalleled not just in women's circuit, but in all of tennis.

Graf, with her unusual backhand and her jumping forehand, held the WTA No 1 spot for a record 377 weeks. Steffi put on a monumental show from 1988-89, winning five Grand Slam titles on the trot, which also consists of a 66-match winning streak.

Honourable Mentions:

Kim Clijsters, Maria Sharapova, Evonne Goolagong, Arantxa Sanchez Vicario, Hana Mandlikova.

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