Women's Tennis: 5 players with the most Grand Slam singles appearances

Arjun
2018 US Open - Day 11
Serena Williams at the 2018 US Open

Traditionally women tennis players tend to peak early and retire earlier than their male counterparts. However, this trend seems to have abated and there are a total of 8 players in the WTA top 30 who are 30 years or older.

Of the 10 women with the most Grand Slam Singles appearances, every single one of them played or are playing in the Open Era. The list is dominated by 4 Americans. It is no surprise that this is the case as American women have won more Grand Slams than women of any other nationality.

We take a look at 5 Ladies with the most Grand Slam Singles appearances :

#5 Martina Navratilova

The Czechoslovak-American legend Martina Navratilova won a record 167 Singles titles - the most by any professional tennis player male or female. In a career spanning over three decades, Martina won 18 Grand Slam Singles titles. In addition to this, she also excelled in the Doubles and Mixed Doubles formats, winning a record 31 Doubles and 10 Mixed Slam Majors. The most dominant tennis player of the 1980s, Martina had 67 Singles appearances at Grand Slams.

Wimbledon Lawn Tennis Championship
Martina Navratilova at the Wimbledon Lawn Tennis Championship, 1990

#4 Serena Williams

Day Twelve: The Championships - Wimbledon 2018
Serena Williams at Wimbledon 2018

Since making her Grand Slam Singles debut as a teenager at the 1998 Australian Open, Serena Williams has won at least 1 Grand Slam in three different decades - the only player to do so.

Till date, Serena has played in 331 Grand Slam Singles matches which is an all-time record. After skipping much of the 2017 season post winning the Australian Open in the same year, comeback mom Serena has come agonizingly close to adding to her Grand Slam tally of 23.

She continues to defy age and time and it won't be a surprise if she does indeed surpass Margaret Court's all-time Grand Slam tally. Serena Williams has made 69 Grand Slam appearances till date.

#3 Francesca Schiavone

The Internazionali BNL d'Italia 2018 - Day Two
Francesca Schiavone at the 2018 Italian Open

Recently retired Italian tennis player, Francesca Schiavone made history when she became the first-ever Italian tennis player to win a Grand Slam Singles title. She did so when she won the 2010 French Open beating Australia's Samantha Stosur in the final.

She attained a career-high ranking of World Number 4 in 2011 at the age of 30. She has also helped Italy win the Fed Cup on 3 different occasions. Since her Grand Slam debut at the 2000 US Open, Schiavone played in 70 Grand Slam tournaments.

#2 Amy Frazier

Amy Frazier returns the ball during the ASB Bank W
Amy Frazier

American Amy Frazier made her debut in a Grand Slam at the Australian Open of 1990. In a career spanning 16 years, culminating at the 2006 US Open, she missed only 6 Grand Slam tournaments.

She appeared in 17 consecutive US Open tournaments. In her long career, she logged 30 wins over top-10 players. Her record of 71 Grand Slam appearances stood for 10 years.

#1 Venus Williams

2015 Wuhan Open - Day 7
Venus Williams at the 2015 Wuhan Open

The only player in tennis history to win Olympic medals in 4 different Summer Olympic Games, big-serving American Venus Williams has been a mainstay of Women's tennis for close to two decades.

Venus Williams has won 7 Grand Slam Singles titles, 14 Grand Slam Doubles titles, 2 Mixed Doubles titles and 5 Olympic medals of which 4 are Gold. With regard to prize-money earned, she is second only to her younger sister Serena Williams.

Making her first Grand Slam Singles appearance at the 1997 French Open, Venus has appeared in a record 80 Grand Slam tournaments which is the highest among Men and Women.

Venus Williams and Father Richard recall one match that 7-time Grand Slam champion "should have won"