There have been many incredible female tennis players over the last 50 years that it makes the task of selecting the greatest ones, an incredibly difficult one.
Despite this, there are a select few names that have had as much as an impact on the game as the ones listed below:
Justine Henin
Image Source: Cnn.com
7 Grand Slam Singles Titles: 1 Australian, 4 French, 2 US Open
Known for her strong mental and physical strength, Justine Henin was one of the most atheltically dominant women to ever play the game. In 2003, she achieved the number one ranking in the world, having won both the French and U.S Open. Known as one of the best volleyers, Henin was as comfortable at the net as she was from the baseline.
Venus Williams
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7 Grand Slam Singles Titles: 5 Wimbledon, 2 US Open
While Venus's career has been hampered with several injuries, there is no doubt that in the early 2000's, she was the woman to beat on tour. Between 2000 and 2001, Venus captured four of her seven Grand Slam victories. Having won 5 titles at Wimbeldon, it makes sense that it was her favourite competition, with her last win coming in 2008.
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Evonne Goolagong
Image Source: usopen.org
7 Grand Slam Singles Titles: 4 Australian, 1 French, 2 Wimbledon
Often overlooked because she played in the same era as Chris Everett and Martina Navratilova, Goolagong was still able to win 7 Grand Slam titles. In 1976 she was ranked number one in the world. The only Grand Slam title she failed to acquire was the U.S Open, where she reached the finals in 4 consecutive years.
Billie Jean King
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12 Grand Slam Singles Titles: 1 Australian, 1 French, 6 Wimbledon, 4 US Open
King's agressive style of play was in sharp contrast to the elegant game of Chris Evert who entered the scene in 1972 to challenge King as the queen of women's tennis. Despite this, King was the undisputed Wimbledon champion from 1966 to 1975, when she won the title on 6 seperate occasions.
Monica Seles
Image Source: usopen.org
9 Grand Slam Singles Titles: 4 Australian, 3 French, 2 US Open
Were it not for the on-court attack and stabbing by a deranged fan in 1993, Monica Seles would have gone on to win even more Grand Slam titles. From 1990 to 1992, Monica dominated women's tennis and won 7 of her 9 titles during this time and by 1991 was already world number 1.
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Chris Evert
Image Source: baseline.tennis.com
18 Grand Slam Singles Titles: 2 Australian, 7 French, 3 Wimbledon, 6 US Open
Evert still holds the record for reaching the most Grand Slam singles finals with 34, and she managed to win 18 of them including every major at least twice. When Martina Navratilova came along in the late 1970s, it provided fans with a great on-court rivalry. Evert was the year-ending number one player in the world for seven years and had a career winning percentage in singles matches of over 90 percent.
Margaret Court
Image Source: espn.com
24 Grand Slam Singles Titles: 11 Australian, 5 French, 3 Wimbledon, 5 US Open
Many consider Margaret Court to be the best player of all time. She was the first woman in the open era to win the singles Grand Slam in 1970, and she is one of only two women to have won a Grand Slam in mixed doubles.Undoubtedly the best player in the 1960s to early 1970s, Court was the first woman to incorporate weights and fitness training into her routine. The result was a long and injury-free career.
Martina Navratilova
Image Source: washingtonpost.com
18 Grand Slam Singles Titles: 3 Australian, 2 French, 9 Wimbledon, 4 US Open
One of the fiercest competitiors to ever grace the sport, Martina Navratilova dominated women's tenns from the late 1979's through to most of the 80's. Known for extreme physical conditioning, she is known for bringing the big serve and volley back into the women's game. Martina also holds the record for career Wimbledon titles with an amazing nine championships.
Steffi Graf
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22 Grand Slam Singles Titles: 4 Australian, 6 French, 7 Wimbledon, 5 US Open
Able to win on any surface, Graf was truly consistent throughout her 17 year career. Her record 377 weeks at number one is a record for any player, male or female. Were it not for the long and successful career of Serena Williams, Graf would easily be seen as the G.O.A.T of women's tennis.
Serena Williams
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23 Grand Slam Singles Titles: 7 Australian, 3 French, 7 Wimbledon, 6 US Open
One of the strongest and most powerful women to ever play the game, Serena Williams has certainly left her mark on tennis. Together, Serena and her sister, Venus, have been a dominant force in women’s tennis since the late 1990s. Together, they have won 14 Grand Slam Doubles titles. With 23 Grand Slam Singles titles including the 2017 Australian Open, Serena now owns the open era record for Grand Slam singles titles by a tennis player, male or female.
While many of the stars on this list no longer play, greats like Serena Williams are still at the top of their game and you can bet on them at www.betway.com.gh. Or, if tennis isn’t your sport of choice, there’s loads of other options including soccer betting for you to choose from.