Venus Williams and retiring Alize Cornet star in list of 5 women with most Grand Slam appearances
Tennis fan favourite Alize Cornet bid an emotional farewell to the sport on Tuesday, with the former world No 11 playing her last career match at the French Open.
The French star was widely known for her giant-killing exploits at majors – famously beating both Serena Williams and Iga Swiatek at Wimbledon – but was also hailed for her longevity.
Cornet made her Slam debut at Roland Garros 19 years ago, and up until her retirement she played in 69 straight majors, an epic streak that started at the 2007 Australian Open.
The Frenchwoman’s longevity puts her towards the top in terms of WTA players with Grand Slam main draw appearances in the Open Era, with only two all-time greats ahead of her.
We take you through the five women with the most major appearances in the modern game.
1) Venus Williams – 93
One of the most celebrated figures in tennis history, Venus is a true legend of the sport and no woman in the Open Era can match her 93 Grand Slam main draw appearances.
The former world No 1 made her first major appearance at the 1997 French Open, reaching the second round at Roland Garros, and made her most recent appearance at the US Open last year.
A winner of seven Grand Slam singles titles – five at Wimbledon, and two at Flushing Meadows – and runner-up in a further nine events, she is one of the most accomplished players of all time.
Venus has missed the opening two majors of 2024, but appearances in either SW19 or New York are possible.
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2) Serena Williams – 81
Following in the footsteps of her older sister, Serena’s longevity also sees her feature incredibly high up in this list.
She was just 16 when making her debut at the Australian Open in 1998 and memorably said goodbye to the sport with a run to the third round of the US Open 24 years later.
No woman in the Open Era has won as many Slams as Serena, with 23 major singles victories – a total that means she won almost 30% of the Grand Slam tournaments she played during her career.
The first of her Grand Slam victories came at the 1999 US Open while her last triumph was at the 2017 Australian Open.
3) Alize Cornet – 72
Calling time on her career at her home Slam, 34-year-old Cornet sits third on the all-time list with an impressive 72 major appearances.
The Frenchwoman made her debut as a 15-year-old at Roland Garros in 2005, and almost two decades later finished her career on Court Philippe Chatrier – a loss to seventh seed Zheng Qinwen.
Her 69 consecutive Grand Slam appearances is an all-time record – and one unlikely to be broken in the near future.
After a consistent career, Cornet famously reached her first and only major quarter-final at the 2022 Australian Open, beating Simona Halep in the fourth round.
Wishing you the best. Congrats, @alizecornet #RolandGarros pic.twitter.com/NSDbt7Dhle
— Roland-Garros (@rolandgarros) May 28, 2024
=4) Amy Frazier – 71
A stalwart of the WTA Tour throughout the 1990s and early 2000s, only three women have played in more Grand Slam events than eight-time WTA titleist Frazier during the Open Era.
The American, who reached a career-high of 13th in 1995, made her Slam debut at the 1987 US Open and though she never officially confirmed her retirement, last played at the 2006 US Open.
Frazier’s best Slam runs came at the 1992 Australian Open and 1995 US Open, reaching the last eight at both events, while she also reached the fourth round at Wimbledon four times.
=4) Svetlana Kuznetsova – 71
One of the most talented players of her generation, former world No 2 Kuznetsova epitomized consistency throughout her lengthy career.
The Russian is probably best remembered for her triumphs at the 2004 US Open and 2009 French Open, reaching two further Grand Slam finals throughout her career.
Her major journey started at the Australian Open when she was just 16 years old, reaching the second round of the event in 2002.
She last played at Wimbledon in 2021, losing in round one: she has not yet officially retired, but a return looks unlikely.
