Steffi Graf snubbed for women's GOAT as Serena Williams, Chris Evert and Martina Navratilova overtake German legend in BJK Cup captain's list

Steffi Graf is considered by many to be the greatest female player of all time. However, Great Britain Billie Jean King Cup captain Anne Keothavong was seemingly at odds with this perception of the tennis community as she picked four players ahead of the German in her own list.

Graf plied her trade on the WTA Tour from 1982 to 1999, winning 22 Major titles and spending a record 377 weeks as the World No. 1. During her illustrious career, she notched several other impressive feats, including winning the calendar Golden Slam in 1988.

Against that background, Steffi Graf is a genuine candidate for the title of the greatest female player of all time. For what it's worth though, former World No. 48 Anne Keothavong believes that the 55-year-old's lack of contribution to the sport following her retirement after 1999 Wimbledon undermines her legacy, which is why she put the German at fifth in her list of the best WTA pros ever.

"So at 5, this is going to be probably somewhat controversial, but I'm going to put Steffi Graf there. I recognize she is a 22-time Grand Slam champion, and she did the Golden Slam," Anne Keothavong said for TNT Sports. "But I'm putting her in fifth, not because of her tennis but what she hasn't done post her tennis career... she hasn't done as much for the sport post career as the other women in my list."

In fourth and third, the 41-year-old Brit went with Chris Evert and Martina Navratilova, respectively. She explained the appeal behind both American players, maintaining that both were great players.

"In fourth place is Chris Evert. What an elegant player she was, 18-time Grand Slam champion, seven times here at Roland Garros," Keothavong said. "Chrissie is a fantastic person and what a great champion and tennis player she was."

"Another 18-time Slam singles champion, and she was such a classic tennis player," she added abot Martina Navratilova. "With that lefty serve and volley game, it was a fantastic style of tennis, which we don't really see too much these days."

---

Billie Jean King in top 2 of Anne Keothavong's greatest WTA players list despite American having 10 less Slams than Steffi Graf

Steffi Graf won her last Major title at French Open 1999 | Image Source: Getty

Anne Keothavong's snub of Steffi Graf from her top two greatest female players of all time was even more interesting since she put 12-time singles Major titlist Billie Jean King at No. 2.

"Billie Jean King, what a woman she is. She is an icon of gender equality, she founded the WTA Tour, she won 39 Major titles," Anne Keothavong said. "At her age, doing her best to grow the game."

Serena Williams was the undisputed greatest female player of all time for Keothavong and she didn't have to explain her pick much, as the American's numbers speak for herself.

"It's gotta be Serena Williams for me. Serena, 23-time Grand Slam champion, what an athlete, what a tennis player she was," she said. "For me greatest tennis player of all time."

For academic purposes, while Williams won one more Major title than Graf, she spent 319 weeks as the top-ranked WTA player, which is 58 less than the German's record tally of 377.