Wills finished her career with 19 Grand Slam titles. And she has transcended her sport. Plays: Right-handed (two-handed backhand). Osaka showed that even at her young age her groundstrokes had the power to outmatch Serena strength for strength. Tennis has seen a slew of epic rivalries throughout the course of, Read More 15 Greatest Rivalries In Tennis HistoryContinue, Over the last couple of decades, the tennis court has turned into a home for some very tall players. Her track record outside of that match more than stands on its own. Players compete in friendly rivalries, although some of them arent all that friendly. 10 Rosewall. Christine Truman Margaret Court doubles Wimbledon By fotograaf onbekend / CC BY-SA 3.0 NL (https://creativecommons. Godfree won two Wimbledon singles titles. Your email address will not be published. She was poised to be a dominant tennis player for years to come, but when she was 19 years old, a horseback riding accident damaged her right leg and ended her career. WebTop British Female Tennis Players 1: Angela Mortimer. Her father was an aspiring tennis coach. In 2012, Laura Robson reached the fourth round of the US Open singles championship, becoming the first British woman to do so at a Grand Slam tournament since Samantha Smith in 1998. Bottom line: Margaret Osborne won six Grand Slams, and none was more impressive than her title at the U.S. Open in 1948. She retired in 2008, picking up a hugely impressive 53 career titles, including 9 Grand Slams. Serena Williams; Steffi Graf; Martina Navritolova; Chris Evert; Margaret Court; Monica Seles; Billie Jean King; Venus Williams; Evonne Goolagong Cawley; Justine Henin; Martina Hingis; Helen Wills Moody; Maureen Connolly; Lindsay Davenport; Kim Clijsters; Jennifer 2. When Venus Williams first started winning at the WTA level in 1997, many thought that she was well on her way to being the next dominant star. She won 55 singles titles and spent nearly 100 weeks spent at No.1, the eighth-most of all time. She also found success in doubles, winning at Wimbledon and the U.S. Open into her thirties, to bring her career full circle. She also won two US Open doubles titles and three Grand Slam mixed doubles titles. Her career has been up and down since then, but she still has the talent to repeat that level of excellence. Her victory in the Olympics semi-final against Anastasia Myskina in 2004 also stands out, as well as her many battles with Serena Williams and Kim Clijsters. Although Henin won an impressive seven Grand Slams, the question of "what might have been" lingers over her career since she retired due to injuries at only 29 years old. She was never truly dominant like many on this list, but she had a short run in her career where she was a Grand Slam threat every single time. Vote up the best women's tennis players ever. Now 53 years old, she is a former professional player who ranked World No.1 for a record 377 weeks. WebVirginia Wade and Andy Murray are the most successful British tennis players in the Open Era by singles titles. Had she not been stabbed in 1993, the history books would look a lot different. Its a big psychological difference to win those four within the career, not within a year or that to withstand the pressure and fear not to fail just once at all the matches of the four Grand Slams which are hold within one season. 1 Federer, No. Died: March 7, 1981, Helsingborg, Sweden (Age 72). In 2016, she won the mixed-doubles at Wimbledon, becoming the first British player to win at Wimbledon since Joanna Mary Durie in 1987. She was able to excel as someone who could counterpunch her way to titles at times, and although she didnt hit with a ton of power, she could dial it in once in a while. She retired in 2020, bringing her storied career to a close. Angela Mortimer was certainly one of the greatest British female tennis players alive during the 1950s and early 1960s. She has won 23 grand slams the most of any active tennis player, male or female. She has never been able to move particularly well, but she has powerful strokes and a serve that is hard to beat when it is on. Female athletes continue to fight for equality in sports, and tennis players have been at the forefront of that struggle for decades. Justine Henin kisses the French Open trophy in 2003. Evonne Goolagong Cawley was not just a phenomenal tennis player, she was also a person of colour from Australia who succeeded in a sport that was and is still dominated by the white, middle classes. If she was a little more dedicated to fitness early in her career, she might be higher on the list. WebAn international panel of tennis experts determined this ranking of 62 men and 38 women. The only problem? Martina Hingis was a teenage tennis sensation. Nicola Viggers. Born: June 1, 1982, Liege, Belgium (Age 37). Without her pioneering spirit, there would be no equality in sports. Ranker Tennis. The days are long and the nights are warm but, sadly, we will have to wait until next year to see the great players of our time compete at Wimbledon. Her first Grand Slam victory came in 1968 at the US Open, and shed go on to win 55 singles titles throughout her career. Born: Oct. 2, 1984, Le Puy-en-Velay, France, Plays: Right-handed (two-handed on both sides). She still prefers to stay near the baseline, but she can play many different styles depending on who she is facing. 6 Borg, No. She was never particularly great on clay, despite growing up on it and being a native of France. Once ranked world number five, British tennis player Jo Durie has two Grand Slam titles in her kitty. The local media covered her matches with the same interest they covered Muhammad Alis boxing bouts. Johanna Konta is a British tennis player who represented Australia till 2012. But Grand Slam success did arrive, and she won her first Wimbledon in 1934 en route to being crowned world No.1 that year, backing it up with two more Grand Slam titles. After retiring as a player, Samantha Smith started working as a commentator for various sports networks. Not only do countries embrace the sport at the recreational level, but fans follow their favorite players. Who is the best of the best? Reehan Miah. Female athletes continue to fight for equality in sports, and tennis players have been at the forefront of that struggle for decades. An unbelievable fighter, she continued to play despite her debilitating illness, winning matches almost till the very end, retiring from professional tennis five months before her death from liver cancer. And the greatest women's tennis player of all time. Simona Halep has established herself as one of the most consistent players on the womens tour in tennis history while showing what it takes to perform on the greatest stage. Next week: who is the greatest male tennis player of the last 50 years? Venus is often overshadowed by her younger sisters achievements, but her career is worthy of tremendous recognition in its own right. Her first Grand Slam victory came in 1968 at the US Open, and shed go on to win 55 singles titles throughout her career. Died: May 29, 2015, Coral Gables, Florida (Age 89). "Chrissie" was the signature star of 1970s tennis, a time when the game was exploding in popularity in the United States. She underlined that with her historical wins over #3 Seles, #2 Davenport and #1 Hingis at Roland Garos. She previously won a junior title at Wimbledon. Her record is 24 & 192 titles. When considering singles and doubles, Martina Navratilova has had a ton of success in her career. No tennis match had been seen by so many. He was right. To prove her milestone victory was not a fluke, she won the Australian Open title in 2014. In 2011, she became the first woman from Asia to reach a Grand Slam final and then win a Slam outright at the French Open, in front of a TV audience of hundreds of millions of Chinese fans. 6 Borg, No. Murrays tally of 46 singles titles is good for 14th on the all-time list, just behind Boris Becker and ahead of greats including Arthur Ashe and Stefan Edberg. Sloane Stephens is a bright light for American tennis in the post-Williams sisters future. Dart reached the finals of the mixed doubles event at the 2021 Wimbledon Championships along with Joe Salisbury and lost to Neal Skupski and Desirae Krawczyk. Born: Jan. 18, 1988, Bremen, West Germany. She has risen from humble beginnings in Compton a world away from the privileged start of many tennis players and has overcome overt racism to become an active voice for equal rights for women and men on and off the court. With 19 singles titles at Grand Slam championships, her well-rounded game made her a celebrity. As a player, she became the first woman from Spain to take home the Wimbledon title in 1994, winning an epic three-set classic over the heavily favored Martina Navratilova. Female athletes continue to fight for equality in sports, and tennis players have been at the forefront of that struggle for decades. Her stretch of seven grand slams won between 1990 and 1993 is one of the greatest runs of dominance recorded by a player in the modern era. Born: Dec. 12, 1962, Palos Verdes, California. Both players share the record of 186 consecutive weeks at #1. Overnight, she was gracing fashion magazine covers and starring in television commercials around the world. But clay is not the only surface where she shines. She has eight ITF career titles, including three singles titles, under her belt. Forty-three players made the list from the Americas, 39 from Europe and 18 from Oceania. Justine Henin is one of the last great tennis champions in the women's game to use a one-handed backhand. She previously won a junior title at Wimbledon. Wades tally of 55 is particularly impressive. At her best, she was unbeatable. WebBritish tennis players Browse the player profiles of our British tennis players, featuring the top tennis players in the UK. Since then, Kerber has proved that she belongs at the top of the game, using her powerful left-handed strokes to win three majors and attain the world No. She operated on a level of artistic elegance unmatched before or since. She also broke ground for Spain by leading her country to its first Fed Cup title in 1991, a title she then helped Spain win four more times. When the open era first started taking off in womens tennis, Evonne Goolagong Cawley was one of the first to start winning consistently. While she did not reach similar numbers at the Grand Slam level, Davenport proved she could put in performances of the highest caliber on that stage, too, winning one Australian Open, Wimbledon and U.S. Open title apiece. Martina Navratilovas athleticism, power and determination to succeed were truly astonishing. She was a trendsetter in tennis as well, being the first to wear knee-length pleated skirts instead of the longer ones that were in style before she began playing. Many people view Jennifer Capriati as the child star who had too much gone her way early in her career. Marion Bartoli gave the tennis world one of its great underdog stories. The most important match of her life was seen by more than 90 million people when she beat Bobby Riggs in the now famous Battle of the Sexes. She leveraged her position as a top player to spearhead the formation of the Womens Tennis Association in 1973 and her achievements on the court were matched by her accomplishments off it. This means that they change hand preference with different tasks. She won seven grand slams and an Olympic gold medal in a hugely competitive era in the womens game. Wades tally of 55 is particularly impressive. From trailblazing legends like Billie Jean King to champions like Serena Williams, dominant athletes on the tennis court have elevated womens sports to new heights. Francesca Jones is a British tennis player who has won six ITF Circuit titles so far in her career. The TenWho are the 10 best women's tennis players of all time? She has redefined athleticism in womens tennis. Martina Navratilova shows off her Wimbledon trophy in 1990. Her efficient, counterpunching game style has served her well over a long career. Bottom line: Louise Brough lost the epic 1948 U.S. Open singles final against her frequent partner Margaret Osborne DuPont, but ultimately, her Grand Slam resume looked better at the end. 2 who turned pro in 1968 and retired in 1986. Bottom line: Hilde Sperling pioneered a playing style in the early 20th century that now appears to have been many decades ahead of its time. Courageous, indomitable and also stubborn, she refused to bow to the press, who treated her with suspicion. Here is the full list of the greatest female tennis players of all time. Died: Nov. 12, 1982, Kidderminster, U.K. (Age 73). WebVirginia Wade and Andy Murray are the most successful British tennis players in the Open Era by singles titles. Graf gave even proof that she would have had the capacity to regain the # 1 position: After an almost 2 years injury break with back and knee surgery, she had made it already back from not being listed any more to #3 of the ranking. The United States was credited with the most great players (38), followed by Australia (17), France (7), Great Britain (6) and Czechoslovakia (5). Ann Shirley Jones is a tennis legend and easily one of the greatest of all time, playing at a time 3: Virginia Wade. The best women's tennis players of all time are multiple Grand Slam champions, Olympic tennis gold medalists and simply the best ladies to ever She finished with 98 total weeks at world number one, and three Grand Slam titles. 3. 92 in the world when she broke out by reaching the U.S. Open semifinal. In fact he was the first British man since the 70s to reach a Grand Slam semi-final position. WebHeather Watson is a professional tennis player who has won nine career titles so far, including four singles titles. Bottom line: The 1960s and 1970s saw the peak of Australian tennis with Margaret Court and Rod Laver, whose names are commemorated on two of the Australian Open show courts today. I position for the first time at the age of nineteen. You could tell Chris would become a star. When looking across her career resume, its hard to find a more well-rounded player. WebAn international panel of tennis experts determined this ranking of 62 men and 38 women. There was a lot on the line. Williams is a trailblazer. In total, she won 3 Grand Slams, the 1955 French Open, 1958 Australian Open and Wimbledon in 1961. She has also won four doubles and 11 singles titles on the ITF Women's Circuit. The 7 Best Tennis Documentaries Of All Time, How Tennis Players Qualify For Grand Slams. She never won the Australian Open, but that tournament was not the same level back then, so it should not be held against her. WebShe is the face of womens tennis in the UK and took home a silver medal at the 2012 Olympic Games. For years, however, the title most befitting a serve-and-volley player, Wimbledon, eluded her. All told, the Swiss champion won five singles Grand Slam titles before celebrating her 20th birthday. Although Ivanovic never won another Slam, she showed persistence and determination by overcoming multiple injuries to reach the top 5 again late in her career.