As such a young player, who won eight grand slam titles as a teenager, she showed such mental strength to win matches. She won seven grand slams and an Olympic gold medal in a hugely competitive era in the womens game. She also won two US Open doubles titles and three Grand Slam mixed doubles titles. Female athletes continue to fight for equality in sports, and tennis players have been at the forefront of that struggle for decades. Once ranked world number five, British tennis player Jo Durie has two Grand Slam titles in her kitty. Venus and Serena Williams form arguably the most iconic pairing of siblings in sports history. 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. 12 One of the most underrated womens tennis players of all time is Amelie Mauresmo. The second-most successful female British Olympian, Godfree won five Olympic medals in two Olympic Games. Li Na completed the transformation of tennis into a global game. In 2012, she became the first British female player to win a WTA singles title since 1988. Her record is 24 & 192 titles. She has eight ITF career titles, including three singles titles, under her belt. Died: July 4, 1938, Paris, France (Age 39). Thanks to everyone who took part. Before her, the game was seen as the exclusive domain of the elite, West European-American world. The key to her success? I generally agree with the rankings, especially the top 5 with Chris at 4 ahead of Court at 5. In 2016, she won the mixed-doubles at Wimbledon, becoming the first British player to win at Wimbledon since Joanna Mary Durie in 1987. Angela Mortimer Althea Gibson By Associated Press / Public domain Florence Angela Margaret Mortimer Barrett is a 4. (VOTE) There was agreement on five players: No. 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. Christine Truman Margaret Court doubles Wimbledon By fotograaf onbekend / CC BY-SA 3.0 NL (https://creativecommons. I m talking about the real and the only Grand Slam: the wins of the four Majors within a calendar year. When looking across her career resume, its hard to find a more well-rounded player. Being the greatest is not simply a case of having the numbers (though any way you spin it, Graf is in the conversation). 2. But clay is not the only surface where she shines. A former British No. The character and poise were there from the start. 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. Navratilova won twice a false one. Victoria Azarenka put the tiny, post-Soviet republic of Belarus on the tennis map, winning the Australian Open back to back in 2012 and 2013. 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 The United Kingdom is regarded as the birthplace of tennis, and no one fulfilled that countrys championship hopes more than Virginia Wade. Entering her first tournaments as a teenager, it took Round nearly a decade to have success at the highest level of tennis. (VOTE) There was agreement on five players: No. Post-retirement, she has been working as a coach and a BBC and Eurosport commentator. Many of her records remain unbroken. Shes still looking for that first Grand Slam title since giving berth, and maybe some Olympic success in Tokyo as well. 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. 12 Just got done watching the great McEnroe bio on Showtime. She was just 16 years old when she won the U.S. Open in 1979, and she would follow up that seat was a win in 1981. But she was not content to only practice against men. But when the moment came for her to perform at the highest level, she did not disappoint. In 2016, she won the mixed-doubles at Wimbledon, becoming the first British player to win at Wimbledon since Joanna Mary Durie in 1987. Wade has the dual distinction of being the only British woman to win all four majors (although she only won the French in doubles). Post-retirement, she has stepped into a broadcasting career and has also appeared on ITVs Interceptor and Channel 4s Treasure Hunt. You ask any black person, they say Serena is the greatest all time. After retiring as a player, Wade has worked as a game analyst and commentator. 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 Steffi Graf. Evonne often bullied her opposition, dominating early on and consistently throughout matches. Other than the Williams sisters, she is the defining player of her generation. Jelena Jankovic was part of a wave of players that established Serbia as a tennis powerhouse for the womens game while Novak Djokovic led the charge for the Serbian men. Francesca Jones is a British tennis player who has won six ITF Circuit titles so far in her career. Billie Jean King has had the biggest influence on womens tennis in the past 50 years. Wades tally of 55 is particularly impressive. 9 Agassi and No. Then, in 2013, she far surpassed that feat. She first gained attention after winning the Lemon Bowl at 11 and now has five singles and four doubles titles in her kitty. You rarely saw an unforced error from Evert. You as fellow tennis players and tennis commentators, they will say Serena is the best female tennis player of all times. Since Wade's success, U.K. women have experienced a major Grand Slam title drought. Serena was 35 when she finally tied Steffis 22 Slams and 36 when she won #23. Talk about a child prodigy Tim Henman. Ranker Tennis. WebTop British Female Tennis Players 1: Angela Mortimer. WebShe is the face of womens tennis in the UK and took home a silver medal at the 2012 Olympic Games. Johanna Konta is a British tennis player who represented Australia till 2012. But what puts Steffi miles ahead of Serena is the Grand Slam and the Golden Slam. There is no arguing that Serena Williams is the greatest female tennis player of all time. This guy was the tennis pro of the 90s. She won all four of her Grand Slam titles on hard courts, with three coming at the 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. But different to Navratilova and Serena, Graf made (putting her aside of Margaret Court and Maureen Conolly): in 1988, she won the real Grand Slam and withstood the immense pressure that was put on her by the media and the public. Beyond the race issue, she was a breath of fresh air on our TV screens in the 1970s. Steffi Graf was your clear favourite, picking up nearly twice as many votes as any other player. She is a seven-time British National Singles winner and a nine-time British National Doubles winner. Grit and determination defined Seles along with her trademark grunt. She retired in 2008, picking up a hugely impressive 53 career titles, including 9 Grand Slams. Female athletes continue to fight for equality in sports, and tennis players have been at the forefront of that struggle for decades. Top 5 British Tennis Players of All Time 1. For years, however, the title most befitting a serve-and-volley player, Wimbledon, eluded her. They put Graf ahead of Serena and on #1 position of the greatests. Her father was an aspiring tennis coach. She was calm and had a game that was advanced far beyond her years. She underlined that with her historical wins over #3 Seles, #2 Davenport and #1 Hingis at Roland Garos. But she was more than just marketing hype. Not only do countries embrace the sport at the recreational level, but fans follow their favorite players. A former world No. 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. Its a historical crown to wear. 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 popular tennis player, Jones won eight Grand Slam titles during her career. She also beat Venus Williams to win the crown at Wimbledon. 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). In total, she won 3 Grand Slams, the 1955 French Open, 1958 Australian Open and Wimbledon in 1961. Steffi Graf. Jacobs amassed five titles of her own over the course of her career and brought a Jazz Age flappers sensibility to the stuffy world of 1920s tennis. Serena Williams continues to try to tie that record, but she has been unsuccessful so far in her attempts. 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 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. Its not impossible, but her record of 49 total grand slam titles will be very tough to beat. It was an elegant but deadly stroke often compared to that of Roger Federer in the mens game. Ranker Tennis. This week our writers have made the case for Steffi Graf, Chris Evert, Serena Williams, Martina Navratilova and Monica Seles. As we get ready for the 2020 season, heres how things look. Now 39 years old, she hasnt called it quits just yet. Martina Navratilovas athleticism, power and determination to succeed were truly astonishing. This article was amended on 6 July 2020. Yea, Williams is one ahead of Steffi (23:22). She didnt hit hard, she was relatively small for a tennis player and she had a pretty laid-back demeanor. 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 has grand slam titles in singles, doubles, and mixed doubles, and shes most remembered for her runs at the Australian Open. She was particularly great on grass courts, winning five Wimbledon championships. Angela Mortimer was certainly one of the greatest British female tennis players alive during the 1950s and early 1960s. Without question, they are the greatest pair in tennis history. She has translated into being a very successful coach post-career, showing the cerebral side of her game. Evert relied on great placement, movement, and spin to have success in tennis. Her range of volleys was exceptional as was her determination to play her game in her style and impose her will upon her opponent and upon the court, no matter which surface it was. This was due to a kick serve and deadly volleys that made her the best of her era on grass. Some weeks later she crowned her Grand Slam with the Olympic Gold becoming the only player ever to achieve the Golden Slam. Her track record outside of that match more than stands on its own. Mary Pierce had to overcome incredible adversity on the tour, battling injuries and an abusive relationship with her father. Harriet Dart is a British tennis player who has won 14 doubles and four singles titles on the ITF Circuit so far in her career. Ones labeled as a player who couldnt perform well in the Grand Slams, her 2018 French Open championship and 2019 Wimbledon championship changed that perception. This means that they change hand preference with different tasks. This guy was the tennis pro of the 90s. She operated on a level of artistic elegance unmatched before or since. After retiring at 21, she launched her fashion brand. She had a varied and beautiful all-around style of play and, despite being small in stature, was a giant fighter. Many people view Jennifer Capriati as the child star who had too much gone her way early in her career. Steffi #2? For years, she failed to win a Grand Slam title and was unfairly branded as someone who could not perform on the biggest stages. Had one of them not existed, 30 Slams would of been easily attained. (VOTE) There was agreement on five players: No. WebVirginia Wade and Andy Murray are the most successful British tennis players in the Open Era by singles titles. Died: Aug. 21, 1994, Sutton, United Kingdom (Age 78), Plays: Right-handed (one-handed backhand). Twice. When she returned, she was able to win one more grand slam singles title, but she was not the same caliber of player. Known as The Little Wonder, Lottie Dod gained fame as a remarkable tennis player and a five-time Wimbledon Ladies' Singles champion. At 23, she was only ranked No. With that in mind, we are spending the Wimbledon fortnight debating which of the greats is the greatest of them all. Her father was an aspiring tennis coach. At her best, she was unbeatable. Born: September 17, 1934, San Diego, California, Died: June 21, 1969, Dallas, Texas (Age 34). She memorably won Wimbledon again nine years later. When she was 29 years old, she participated in the Battle of the Sexes against a 55-year-old Bobby Riggs. 3. Winning four French Open, eight Wimbledons and seven U.S. Open titles is truly remarkable, regardless of era. Tracy Austin has left her mark on and off the court. Her father was an aspiring tennis coach. Not only did she take home the title, but she did it without dropping a single set. Wills finished her career with 19 Grand Slam titles. For those who arent quite convinced Serena Williams is number one all-time just yet, the most mentioned name is Steffi Graf. But Id have to go with her first Wimbledon victory, in 1988 over the great Martina Navratilova. WebHeather Watson is a professional tennis player who has won nine career titles so far, including four singles titles. Coming from an Aboriginal Australian background, she overcame an environment of discrimination much similar to that faced by Althea Gibson in the United States. These rankings determine who holds the crown. Venus is often overshadowed by her younger sisters achievements, but her career is worthy of tremendous recognition in its own right. Robby J. Justine Henin is one of the greatest and most underrated players in womens tennis. Angela Mortimer was certainly one of the greatest British female tennis players alive during the 1950s and early 1960s. In 1978, she wasinducted intothe International Tennis Hall of Fame. It helped her win a record nine Wimbledon singles titles and helped her to the record for both total singles and doubles titles in the Open Era. She smacked forehand winners from everywhere, retrieved balls that were impossible to get, threw down second-serve aces, and most thrillingly of all displayed rare audacity on her backhand side in order to go for topspin winners. In an era when serve and volley still predominated, she played a counterpunching baseline style that stood out for its uniqueness. Andy Murray 2. The second-most successful female British Olympian, Godfree won five Olympic medals in two Olympic Games. At the 1908 Summer Olympics, Lambert Chambers won the gold medal in the singles event. It just so happens that it was her sister Serena, who largely overshadowed her throughout her career. She has five Grand Slam singles titles, 13 Grand Slam doubles titles and seven Grand Slam mixed doubles titles. Henry Haynes. She won 55 singles titles and spent nearly 100 weeks spent at No.1, the eighth-most of all time. Florence Angela Margret Mortimer Berret, better known as simply Angela Mortimer, is the 2: Ann Jones. The game has had many great female players, pioneers and trailblazers, but only one gets the all-time top ranking. This will always come down to racial divides. Maria Sharapova became an international icon by winning her first Wimbledon title at 17. Based on 2022 results, Iga Swiatek has entered the top 20. Her first Grand Slam victory came in 1968 at the US Open, and shed go on to win 55 singles titles throughout her career. Her first Grand Slam victory came in 1968 at the US Open, and shed go on to win 55 singles titles throughout her career. As such, the, Read More 7 Best Left-Handed Tennis Players EverContinue, The most dominating shot in all of tennis is the serve. 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. Tennis is truly a global sport these days, with top players representing countries all around the globe. On the court, Sharapova dictated points with a strong serve and heavy groundstrokes and won all four majors for the career Grand Slam. 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. Played: Right-handed (two-handed backhand). Still, winning a total of nine grand slam singles titles is pretty impressive. Stephens demonstrated enormous promise by defeating Serena Williams as a teenager at the Australian Open, and then fulfilled that promise by defeating Venus Williams en route to the U.S. Open title. Ann Shirley Jones is a tennis legend and easily one of the greatest of all time, playing at a time 3: Virginia Wade. Nick Gannon. She is an absolute legend. Sloane Stephens is a bright light for American tennis in the post-Williams sisters future. Bottom line: Players from Russia are now a common part of the tennis landscape, but it was not always the case. The only knock against her is that most of her domination came in the 1960s, before the open era of tennis. 92 in the world when she broke out by reaching the U.S. Open semifinal. 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. Women's rankings Men's rankings Women's wheelchair rankings Men's wheelchair rankings Quad rankings British padel players Browse the profiles of Britain's top women's and men's padel players, including where they're ranked. Steffi Grafs dominance transcended all surfaces more than any other player in the modern era. British tennis has produced some of the greatest tennis players of all time. She won six Grand Slam titles, including a dominant stretch at Wimbledon, where she took home the championship in three consecutive years between 1948 and 1950. Died: June 8, 2018, Sao Paulo, Brazil (Age 78). With that in mind, we are spending the Wimbledon fortnight debating which of the greats is the greatest of them all. She also won 12 doubles titles, including the WTA Austrian Open. Billie Jean King has come to personify womens equality in sports thanks to her famous "Battle of the Sexes" win against Bobby Riggs in 1973, immortalized in countless retrospectives, books and a Hollywood film adaptation. 1, Smith also represented Britain in the European Cup and Fed Cup on several occasions. Off the court, she has remained a major presence in the tennis world to this day as a television commentator, calling Grand Slam matches on NBC and on the Tennis Channel. 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. Its been said that no backhand in the history of womens tennis has been as great as Justine Henin. She burst onto the scene by winning the U.S. Open at 17 in 1951, and over the next three years, Connolly won nine Grand Slams, including all four in a single year, the first woman to win the "Calendar Slam. With the record-holding 23 Grand Slam titles to her name, its hard to not put her at the No.1 spot. She was tennis own child star and reached the top 10 in the rankings at just 14 years old. If she can add a few more Grand Slam titles to her list, she could creep up fast. WebShe is the face of womens tennis in the UK and took home a silver medal at the 2012 Olympic Games. By the numbers, however, Court surpassed even Lavers achievements, winning a record 24 Grand Slam singles titles, a whopping 11 of which came on home ground in Australia. 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. For much of the 2010s, Caroline Wozniacki was a model of consistency, winning 30 titles and ending two consecutive years at world No.1. In doing so, she elevated herself from great to greatest. 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. A former world No. 3. She faced a lengthy ban for failing a drug test at the 2016 Australian Open, and that tarnished her legacy bit. She finished with 98 total weeks at world number one, and three Grand Slam titles. The game has changed so much, and the racquets, in particular, have turned the modern game into something vastly different from the past. When playing against women, King won a Grand slam Championship at all four majors. 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. Bottom line: What Arthur Ashe did for African-American men in tennis, Althea Gibson accomplished for African-American women. Vote for Your Favourite British Female Tennis Players, (British Former Professional Tennis Player), (Former British Professional Tennis Player), (Former British Tennis Player and Television Presenter), (British Former Professional Tennis Player Who Formerly Represented Australia), (British Former Table Tennis and Lawn Tennis Champion), (Former Tennis Player and Television Host), (English Former Professional Tennis Player), (English Fashion Designer and Former Professional Tennis Player), (British Tennis Player and the Youngest Ladies Singles Champion), (British Tennis and Badminton Player and the Second Most Decorated Female British Olympian). In 2016, she won the mixed-doubles at Wimbledon, becoming the first British player to win at Wimbledon since Joanna Mary Durie in 1987. Born: Dec. 12, 1962, Palos Verdes, California. 3. Helen Wills was the undisputed greatest player of her era. In the early 1950s, she took the tennis world by storm, winning six straight Grand Slam singles titles between 1952 and 1953. In 2012, she became the first British female player to win a WTA singles title since 1988. And she has transcended her sport. Born: March 20, 1993, Plantation, Florida. British tennis has produced some of the greatest tennis players of all time. 4 and former British number one, Johanna Konta is renowned for creating sharp angles and an offensive baseline play. The top players also dominated their peers, and most of them had games that could translate into success in other eras. All rights reserved. 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 12 If Virginia Wade was the last great British womens champion of the 20th century, Dorothy Round was one of the first. Sure, other players have won more slams, but Seles will always be the best player to have ever played the sport. Female athletes continue to fight for equality in sports, and tennis players have been at the forefront of that struggle for decades. She also won two US Open doubles titles and three Grand Slam mixed doubles titles. I have been a tennis fan since the early 60s when I started playing. There are a lot of what-ifs with Seles. A former world No. Many of the women on this list were teenage sensations, finding championship success instantly on the tour. From that point on, she raised her game to something otherworldly probably the highest sustained level of excellence I have ever seen from a female tennis player. WebAn international panel of tennis experts determined this ranking of 62 men and 38 women. Martina Navratilova shows off her Wimbledon trophy in 1990. Kim Clijsters was often overshadowed by her fellow Belgian Justine Henin, but they both deserve a spot on this list. Right IconThis ranking is based on an algorithm that combines various factors, including the votes of our users and search trends on the internet. She never won the Australian Open, but that tournament was not the same level back then, so it should not be held against her. 2 Nadal, No. 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 She previously won a junior title at Wimbledon. In 1993, she was stabbed by a deranged fan. This period included her best Grand more Birthplace: Sydney, Australia Nationality: Australia 98 1 Federer, No. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. There were so many great Graf matches. Died: Oct. 24, 2012, El Paso, Texas (Age 94). Wades tally of 55 is particularly impressive. She was able to have a lot of success with her volley at the net, and her speed was tough for opponents to overcome when combining with her height. Though the daughter of a tennis coach mother, Katie Boulter had initially focused on playing the piano before she deviated to tennis as a career. The second-most successful female British Olympian, Godfree won five Olympic medals in two Olympic Games. Forty-three players made the list from the Americas, 39 from Europe and 18 from Oceania. Most impressive is her feat of reaching 34 Grand Slam finals, a record no woman or man has equaled since. It took her much of the decade, but Wozniacki put all doubts to rest when she took home the 2018 Australian Open title. At 20 years old, it robbed her of over two years in her prime. Top 5 British Tennis Players of All Time 1. Godfree won two Wimbledon singles titles. This guy was the tennis pro of the 90s. 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. 1 in doubles, Wade won four Grand Slam doubles titles. Born: March 8, 1990, Bilovec, Czhechoslovakia. She was able to win the 2009 and 2010 U.S. Open after giving birth, and that cemented her legacy on a list like this. Forty-three players made the list from the Americas, 39 from Europe and 18 from Oceania. When the open era first started taking off in womens tennis, Evonne Goolagong Cawley was one of the first to start winning consistently. She mixed a powerful serve with a graceful one-handed backhand and was near unstoppable at her peak, winning two Grand Slams in 2006. Ivanovic even went one step further and won a Grand Slam, taking home the French Open that year in convincing fashion. 2, Jones managed to establish herself as a praiseworthy player despite playing in a highly competitive era; she played against some of the all-time greats like Margaret Court and Billie Jean King. British tennis has produced some of the greatest tennis players of all time.

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