Wills finished her career with 19 Grand Slam titles. This will always come down to racial divides. Twice. Her career has been up and down since then, but she still has the talent to repeat that level of excellence. 1 ranking for the first time in 2016. I have been a tennis fan since the early 60s when I started playing. Henins career is synonymous with the French Open, where she was magical. In 1998, she fulfilled her longtime dream and won that title, the last of her style to do so. Angela Mortimer Althea Gibson By Associated Press / Public domain Florence Angela Margaret Mortimer Barrett is a 4. The United Kingdom is regarded as the birthplace of tennis, and no one fulfilled that countrys championship hopes more than Virginia Wade. In an epic match against her frequent doubles partner Louise Brough, the battle between the two of them went to Osborne by a score of 15-13 in the third set. Died: May 29, 2015, Coral Gables, Florida (Age 89). The French Open paid tribute to Lenglen's legacy by naming one of its show courts after her, and it stands to this day in memory of what she achieved. Li Na completed the transformation of tennis into a global game. WebTop British Female Tennis Players 1: Angela Mortimer. By winning the Australian Open twice and the French once, she showed she was worthy of all the hopes that had been placed on her. No one could put away matches in as dominant a fashion, and her 23 Grand Slam titles are an Open Era record. She isnt considered a huge threat to win at the majors in this part of her career, but it was just 2017 when she made a run to the finals at the Australian Open and Wimbledon. Serena Williams celebrates after winning the French Open in 2013. (VOTE) There was agreement on five players: No. 12 WebHeather Watson is a professional tennis player who has won nine career titles so far, including four singles titles. 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. Navratilova conquered all of the grand slams winning singles, doubles and mixed doubles titles at all four slams between 1974 and 2006 but it was at Wimbledon where her volleying prowess caused the most damage, not only in titles but in eventually winning the respect of the crowd. Greatest Women's Tennis Players of All Time But don't rule out a return to the top of the sports ranks from a competitor as tough as she is. From Fred Perry and Virginia Wade to Andy Murray, British Tennis success has grown and grown over the years. She also beat Venus Williams to win the crown at Wimbledon. Ivanovic even went one step further and won a Grand Slam, taking home the French Open that year in convincing fashion. She was in the top 10 of the rankings before she even turned 15 years old, and it was clear that success, fame, and money was getting the best of her. She won 55 singles titles and spent nearly 100 weeks spent at No.1, the eighth-most of all time. WebShe is the face of womens tennis in the UK and took home a silver medal at the 2012 Olympic Games. She retired in 2008, picking up a hugely impressive 53 career titles, including 9 Grand Slams. Its an achievement that even most of the greatest of all times failed. You ask the average white person, Serenas name will not be mentioned. Overnight, she was gracing fashion magazine covers and starring in television commercials around the world. She had a varied and beautiful all-around style of play and, despite being small in stature, was a giant fighter. She won seven grand slams and an Olympic gold medal in a hugely competitive era in the womens game. Christine Truman Margaret Court doubles Wimbledon By fotograaf onbekend / CC BY-SA 3.0 NL (https://creativecommons. The second-most successful female British Olympian, Godfree won five Olympic medals in two Olympic Games. Godfree won two Wimbledon singles titles. With recent success from Emma Raducanu and Cameron Norrie, British tennis can only get better and better and we cant wait to see what 2022 Born: Oct. 2, 1984, Le Puy-en-Velay, France, Plays: Right-handed (two-handed on both sides). Evonne Goolagong was the most notable female tennis player at the launch of the open era, as she was consistently winning single double and mixed double Grand Slam titles. British Tennis Players Played: Right-handed (two-handed backhand). Post-retirement, she has stepped into a broadcasting career and has also appeared on ITVs Interceptor and Channel 4s Treasure Hunt. Died: May 31, 2011, Potomac, Maryland (Age 91). Greatest Female Tennis Players Of All Time The face of tennis is notably more diverse than when she and her sister arrived. She went on to establish herself as the undisputed queen of the U.S. Open, winning the event eight times. She has five Grand Slam singles titles, 13 Grand Slam doubles titles and seven Grand Slam mixed doubles titles. Some weeks later she reached the finalof Wimbledon. 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. Court won as many amateur as professional slams that indicates their equivalence and she retired at the top of her game with a record unsurpassed. She has eight ITF career titles, including three singles titles, under her belt. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Your email address will not be published. Her father was an aspiring tennis coach. She also showed her fighting qualities in her epic victory against Jennifer Capriati in the US Open semi-final, when she overcame cramp and exhaustion to win not only that match but the title. best women Plays: Right-handed (two-handed backhand). This feat puts her in lofty company, as only six female players have ever won a Slam title without dropping a set. 2 who turned pro in 1968 and retired in 1986. She underlined that with her historical wins over #3 Seles, #2 Davenport and #1 Hingis at Roland Garos. In 1933, Wills won a "Battle of the Sexes" exhibition match, decades before Billie Jean King. Players must track down balls and keep long rallies going to survive in a game that now takes place almost exclusively at the, Read More 10 Fastest Tennis Players In The WorldContinue, In the world today, about 10% of people are left-handed, and 1% of the population has what is called mixed-handedness or cross-dominance. First, she came out of nowhere at Wimbledon in 2007 to make the final in a huge upset over Justine Henin in the semis. The only problem? But the Chilean changed all that by winning the 1937 U.S. Open. Anastasia Myskina was part of the first wave of young women who helped put the worlds largest country on the map, with her French Open win in 2004, the first singles title for a Russian player. Robby J. Justine Henin is one of the greatest and most underrated players in womens tennis. Retired from professional tennis in 2013, she continued to remain associated with the game, captaining Great Britain Fed Cup team from 2017 to 2019. 10 Rosewall. 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. She was well on her way to being a legitimate rival to Steffi Graf, but a stabbing incident in 1993 stopped her career temporarily just as she was ascending to the top of the game. Serena who is listed as #1 23 & 72 titles less than 1/2 of M Court. The character and poise were there from the start. Born: March 20, 1993, Plantation, Florida. Monica Seles is one of the biggest what ifs in tennis history. he 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. Throughout her 11 year career, she showed she was a continually great competitor. WebVirginia Wade and Andy Murray are the most successful British tennis players in the Open Era by singles titles. 9 Agassi and No. 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. She was calm and had a game that was advanced far beyond her years. She entered 56 grand slams, reached 52 semi-finals (including the semi-finals or better of 34 consecutive slams) and won 18 titles. Its been said that no backhand in the history of womens tennis has been as great as Justine Henin. In 2012, she became the first British female player to win a WTA singles title since 1988. Her track record outside of that match more than stands on its own. top 5 greatest British tennis players of all time Greatest British Tennis Players She is known as one of the top competitors in the sport, and she played for a long time as well. Venus is often overshadowed by her younger sisters achievements, but her career is worthy of tremendous recognition in its own right. If a player has a great serve, they have the chance to consistently win their games. 10 Rosewall. Serena's power game, anchored by a devastating serve, is without equal in the history of the womens game. Thanks to everyone who took part. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. In 2012, she became the first British female player to win a WTA singles title since 1988. 3. British tennis has produced some of the greatest tennis players of all time. Serena Williams continues to try to tie that record, but she has been unsuccessful so far in her attempts. That lead to seven Grand Slam singles titles, and a dominant run at the French Open. One of the defining rivalries of tennis early era was between Helen Jacobs and Helen Wills, with the two meeting seven times in Grand Slam play. Justine Henin is one of the greatest and most underrated players in womens tennis. Rebecca Joyce. Monica Seles revolutionised the womens game with her power. But thats a very questionable even if the criteria is the grand slam wins. When the open era first started taking off in womens tennis, Evonne Goolagong Cawley was one of the first to start winning consistently. By doing so, she broke her countrys Grand Slam title drought, becoming the first Australian woman to win once since Evonne Goolangong Cawley in 1980, Born: Feb. 28, 1985, Belgrade, Yugoslavia. Most Successful British Tennis Players Of All Now its time for the readers to offer their verdict. Tennis is truly a global sport these days, with top players representing countries all around the globe. Maureen Connollys career was cut short at just 20 years old by a horseback riding injury, but what she achieved in a short period of time still ranks her as one of the best to ever play the sport. 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. She was the first Latin-American woman to win a major title and paved the way to tennis becoming the global sport it is today. Johanna Konta is a British tennis player who represented Australia till 2012. Plays: Right-handed (one-handed backhand). Her father was an aspiring tennis coach. She also found success in doubles, winning at Wimbledon and the U.S. Open into her thirties, to bring her career full circle. If it was not for elbow injury issues that simply wouldnt go away, Henin likely wouldve played a few more years. Many of the women on this list were teenage sensations, finding championship success instantly on the tour. She won 12 of the final 13 games. A popular tennis player, Jones won eight Grand Slam titles during her career. Most memorable British tennis players Amelie Mauresmos game was a unique blend of power and elegance. Serena has solely dominated womens tennis for over a decade and is still competing at the very highest level at the age of 38. However, her ability to dominate in the first half of the 1970s is hard to overlook. Of, Read More 15 Best Tennis CountriesContinue, Tennis, like every other sport, is a game of rivalry. Top Many believed that she retired way too early in 2007, but she was back on tour in two years. WebVirginia Wade and Andy Murray are the most successful British tennis players in the Open Era by singles titles. 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. This period included her best Grand more Birthplace: Sydney, Australia Nationality: Australia 98 You could tell Chris would become a star. It was an elegant but deadly stroke often compared to that of Roger Federer in the mens game. Born: Jan. 18, 1988, Bremen, West Germany. Her first Grand Slam victory came in 1968 at the US Open, and shed go on to win 55 singles titles throughout her career. Evonne often bullied her opposition, dominating early on and consistently throughout matches. 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. She has redefined athleticism in womens tennis. Yea, unquestionably Serena was a very dominant player in her era. Here is the full list of the greatest female tennis players of all time. 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. Bottom line:Pauline Betz played Grand Slams selectively during her career, but when she did, she tended to win, and in historically dominant fashion. Coming from an Aboriginal Australian background, she overcame an environment of discrimination much similar to that faced by Althea Gibson in the United States. Graf, the only player to have won all four majors at least four times, finished with 22 Grand Slam singles titles despite playing about a decade less than Williams. How is that fair? With that said, she had a ton of success as a child prodigy, and she hung around enough to have considerable success in doubles as well. 3. All rights reserved. She was such a happy, joyful person; you could not help but love her. Number 2 of the greatest female tennis player and most tennis Grand Slams womens division winners we have Steffi Graf. Florence Angela Margret Mortimer Berret, better known as simply Angela Mortimer, is the 2: Ann Jones. She had a very modern power game, relying on groundstrokes from both wings to pound opponents from the baseline. The game has had many great female players, pioneers and trailblazers, but only one gets the all-time top ranking. 9 Agassi and No. On the court, Sharapova dictated points with a strong serve and heavy groundstrokes and won all four majors for the career Grand Slam. WebEasily one of the most successful female British tennis players, Virginia Wade is a three-time Grand Slam champion and former world No. But when the moment came for her to perform at the highest level, she did not disappoint. I m talking about the real and the only Grand Slam: the wins of the four Majors within a calendar year. 20 Greatest Female Tennis Players Of All Time Its widely known the stabber was a Steffi Graf fan. Country: Germany. 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 A former world No. Now 39 years old, she hasnt called it quits just yet. WebVirginia Wade and Andy Murray are the most successful British tennis players in the Open Era by singles titles. Career: 1997-2007 (first retirement), 2009-2012 (second retirement), 2020-present. Her defensive, retrieval-based style enabled her to win the French three times, and she could win on other surfaces, as she proved by winning the U.S. Open in 1994. It was a pretty amazing feat given that she had given birth to her first daughter in the intervening years. Your email address will not be published. 92 in the world when she broke out by reaching the U.S. Open semifinal. By the end of 1993, she was burned out of tennis, taking over a year off and dealing with arrest, drug use, and more. She had the consistency to remain at world No.1 for 64 consecutive weeks and the tenacity to win big individual matches, coming from behind to win her first French Open title against Sloane Stephens. For years, however, the title most befitting a serve-and-volley player, Wimbledon, eluded her. WebShe is the face of womens tennis in the UK and took home a silver medal at the 2012 Olympic Games. British tennis player Anne Keothavong, hailed for winning 28 titles on the ITF Women's Circuit, played her first professional match at age of fourteen, reaching a career-high singles ranking of world No. 2. She mixed a powerful serve with a graceful one-handed backhand and was near unstoppable at her peak, winning two Grand Slams in 2006. The daughter of British aristocrats Ralph Percy and Jane Richard, Lady Melissa Percy quit school at 14 to follow a career in tennis. Graf, the only player to have won all four majors at least four times, finished with 22 Grand Slam singles titles despite playing about a decade less than Williams. At 23, she was only ranked No. She certainly left a great impression on a young 11-year-old schoolboy when she won Wimbledon for the first time in 1971. And she has transcended her sport. Sam Stosurs game stood out for the sheer power of her serve and heavy topspin forehand. Once known as a media darling, Maria Sharapova has fallen on hard times in the last few years. But Graf was even more dominant in her time: She hold the #1 positon for the record number of 377 weeks, Serena did so only 319 weeks (as all time third behind Steffi and Martina Navratilova). 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. Often well known for falling apart in big matches, she has nonetheless found enough toughness and consistency to win the champions trophy at both the U.S. Open and the French Open. Born: October 6, 1905, Centreville, California, Died: January 1, 1998, Carmel, California (Age 92). Died: March 7, 1981, Helsingborg, Sweden (Age 72). People of her circle claimed that her achievement should be considered as a Grand Slam cause nowadays it wouldnt be possible anymore to achieve Grand Slam . Best Women She was physically fit throughout her career, capable of giving any player a scare, even when she was past her prime. Bottom line:The daughter of a Norwegian Army officer, Molla Mallory won matches with a power game atypical of her era.