The Greatest Female Tennis Players Of The Open Era

Originally by Ranker Community

Updated February 29, 2020 24.1k votes 3.5k voters 23.5k views59 items

List RulesFemale tennis players beginning in 1968 only

Who are the greatest female tennis players of the open era? For our purposes, this list includes some of the best female singles tennis players since the Open Era officially began in 1968. Some of these brilliant female tennis players have long since retired since winning countless major tournaments, but some continue to make headlines with their awesome skill on the court. Vote for the tennis playing women you believe are truly the best since the Open Era began, and vote down any that you don't think qualify. Also, feel free to rerank this list in any order you want. Debate about who is the greatest female tennis player of all time (Open Era or not) continues to this day, with some arguing that the honor goes to Steffi Graf, and others saying the title belongs to the incomparable Martina Navratilova. In their day, these two female tennis players were feared and revered by opponents, and with good reason. And certainly, no list of the best and greatest female tennis players of the Open Era would be complete without Serena Williams: She is arguably one of the, if not the absolute top current female tennis players in the world. Serena's sister, Venus Williams, also makes this list. If you're a tennis fan, you might also want to cast your vote (or rerank your own list of) the greatest male tennis players of the Open Era. Is Roger Federer the best, or should the honor go to Bjorn Borg? You decide, with your votes.

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Steffi Graf
Germany, West Germany
Age: 50
Birthplace: Mannheim, Germany
Year Turned Pro: 1982
Australian Open: Winner 1988, 1989, 1990, 1994; Finalist 1993
French Open: Winner 1987, 1988, 1993, 1995, 1996, 1999; Finalist 1989, 1990, 1992
Wimbledon: Winner 1988, 1989, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1995, 1996; Finalist 1987, 1999
US Open: Winner 1988, 1999, 1993, 1995, 1996; Finalist 1987, 1990, 1994
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545
512
Chris Evert
United States of America
Age: 65
Birthplace: Fort Lauderdale, Florida, United States of America
Year Turned Pro: 1972
Australian Open: Winner 1982, 1984; Finalist 1974, 1981, 1985, 1988
French Open: Winner 1974, 1975, 1979, 1980, 1983, 1985, 1986; Finalist 1973, 1984
Wimbledon: Winner 1974, 1976, 1981; Finalist 1973, 1978, 1979, 1980, 1982, 1984, 1985
US Open: Winner 1975, 1976, 1977, 1978, 1980, 1982; Finalist 1979, 1983, 1984
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1,029
Serena Williams
United States of America
Age: 38
Birthplace: Saginaw, Michigan, United States of America
Year Turned Pro: 1995
Australian Open: Winner 2003, 2005, 2007 2009, 2010 2015, 2017; Finalist 2016
French Open: Winner 2002, 2013, 2015; Finalist 2016
Wimbledon: Winner 2002, 2003, 2009, 2010, 2012, 2015, 2016; Finalist 2004, 2008, 2018, 2019
US Open: Winner 1999, 2002, 2008, 2012, 2013, 2014; Finalist 2001, 2011, 2018, 2019

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411
629
Martina Navratilova
United States of America, Czechoslovakia
Age: 63
Birthplace: Prague, Czech Republic
Year Turned Pro: 1975
Australian Open: Winner 1981, 1983, 1985; Finalist 1975, 1982, 1987
French Open: Winner 1982, 1984; Finalist 1975, 1985, 1986, 1987
Wimbledon: Winner 1978, 1979, 1982, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1990; Finalist 1988, 1989, 1994
US Open: Winner: 1983, 1984, 1986, 1987; Finalist 1981, 1985, 1989, 1991
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1,309
182
Francoise Durr
French
Birthplace: Algeria
Year Turned Pro: 1959
French Open: Winner 1967
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556
Kim Clijsters
Belgium
Age: 36
Birthplace: Bilzen, Belgium
Year Turned Pro: 1997-08-17
Australian Open: Winner 2011; Finalist 2004
French Open: Finalist 2001, 2003
US Open: Winner 2005, 2009, 2010; Finalist 2003
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321
Kimiko Date-Krumm
Japan
Age: 49
Birthplace: Kyoto, Keihanshin, Japan
Year Turned Pro: 1989-03
8
387
608
Martina Hingis
Switzerland, Slovakia
Age: 39
Birthplace: Košice, Slovakia
Year Turned Pro: 1994
Australian Open: Winner 1997, 1998, 1999; Finalist 2000, 2001, 2002
French Open: Finalist 1997, 1999
Wimbledon: Winner 1997
US Open: Winner 1997; Finalist 1998, 1999
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433
698
Maria Sharapova
Russia
Age: 32
Birthplace: Nyagan, Russia
Year Turned Pro: 2001-04-19
Australian Open: Winner 2008; Finalist 2007, 2012, 2015
French Open: Winner 2012, 2014; Finalist 2013
Wimbledon: Winner 2004; Finalist 2011
US Open: Winner 2006
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495
825
Monica Seles
United States of America, Germany
Age: 46
Birthplace: Novi Sad, Serbia
Year Turned Pro: 1989
Australian Open: Winner 1991, 1992, 1993, 1996
French Open: Winner 1990, 1991, 1992; Finalist 1998
Wimbledon: Finalist 1992
US Open: Winner 1991, 1992; Finalist 1995, 1996
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142
Garbiñe Muguruza
Spain
Age: 26
Birthplace: Caracas, Venezuela
French Open: Winner 2016
Wimbledon: Winner 2017; Finalist 2015
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214
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Justine Henin
Belgium
Age: 37
Birthplace: Liège, Belgium
Year Turned Pro: 1999-01-01
Australian Open: Winner 2004; Finalist 2006, 2010
French Open: Winner 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007
Wimbledon: Finalist 2001
US Open: Winner 2003, 2007; Finalist 2006
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Naomi Osaka
Australian Open: Winner 2019
US Open: Winner 2018

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Billie Jean King
United States of America
Age: 76
Birthplace: Long Beach, California, United States of America
Year Turned Pro: 1968
Australian Open: Winner 1968; Finalist 1969
French Open: Winner 1972
Wimbledon: Winner 1968, 1972 1973, 1975; Finalist 1969, 1970
US Open: Winner 1971, 1972, 1974; Finalist 1968
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96
174
Caroline Wozniacki
Denmark
Age: 29
Birthplace: Odense, Denmark
Year Turned Pro: 2005-07-18
Australian Open: Winner 2018
US Open: Finalist 2009, 2014
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118
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Evonne Goolagong Cawley
Australia
Age: 68
Birthplace: Griffith, Australia
Year Turned Pro: 1971
Australian Open: Winner 1974, 1975, 1976, 1978; Finalist 1971, 1972 1973
French Open: Winner 1971; Finalist 1972
Wimbledon: Winner 1971, 1980; Finalist 1972, 1975, 1976
US Open: Finalist 1973, 1974, 1975, 1976
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Manuela Maleeva
Bulgaria
Age: 52
Birthplace: Sofia, Bulgaria
Year Turned Pro: 1982
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Ashleigh Barty
Australia
Age: 23
Birthplace: Ipswich, Australia
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Simona Halep
Romania
Age: 28
Birthplace: Constanța, Sud-Est, Romania
Australian Open: Finalist 2018
French Open: Winner 2018; Finalist 2014, 2017
Wimbledon: Winner 2019
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Bianca Andreescu
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142
Angelique Kerber
Germany, Poland
Age: 31
Birthplace: Bremen, Germany
Year Turned Pro: 2003
Australian Open: Winner 2016
Wimbledon: Winner 2018; Finalist 2016
US Open: Winner 2016
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Magdalena Maleeva
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Mary Pierce
Canada, France
Age: 44
Birthplace: Montreal, Canada
Year Turned Pro: 1989-03
Australian Open: Winner 1995; Finalist 1997
French Open: Winner 2000; Finalist 1994, 2005
US Open: Finalist 2005
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Margaret Court
Australia
Age: 77
Birthplace: Perth, Australia
Year Turned Pro: 1968
Australian Open: Winner 1969, 1970, 1971, 1973; Finalist 1968
French Open: Winner 1969, 1970, 1973
Wimbledon: Winner 1970; Finalist 1971
US Open: Winner 1969, 1970, 1973
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Victoria Azarenka
Belarus
Age: 30
Birthplace: Minsk, Belarus
Year Turned Pro: 2003
Australian Open: Winner 2012, 2013
US Open: Finalist 2012, 2013

Francoise Durr