9 women whose last tour title was a Grand Slam – ft Steffi Graf, Kim Clijsters, Ashleigh Barty

Pictured: Steffi Graf, Ashleigh Barty, and Kim Clijsters
Steffi Graf, Ashleigh Barty, and Kim Clijsters all won their last titles at a Grand Slam.

Winning a Grand Slam title is one of the toughest tasks in tennis and, for a select few, it has proven to be one of the final acts of their careers.

Here, we look at nine WTA stars who retired with their last tour title coming at either the Australian Open, French Open, Wimbledon, or US Open.

This list is solely concerning retired players and does not include active players such as Barbora Krejcikova, Emma Raducanu, and Marketa Vondrousova, who could all win further titles.

Ashleigh Barty – 2022 Australian Open

The most recent player on this list, former No 1 Barty was already a two-time Grand Slam singles champion heading into the 2022 Australian Open.

With home hopes on her shoulders, Barty stormed to the title without dropping a set, defeating Danielle Collins 6-3, 7-6(2) to lift the 15th singles title of her career.

Just a few weeks later she confirmed her retirement aged 25, saying she felt like she had nothing left to prove.

Flavia Pennetta – 2015 US Open

One of the most famous examples of this is Pennetta, who stunned the tennis world with her shock triumph at the US Open nine years ago.

In an all-Italian final, she beat Roberta Vinci 7-6(4), 6-2 to become the oldest first-time female major champion in the Open Era.

Pennetta confirmed in her victory speech she was retiring from tennis at the end of the year, and called time on her career at the WTA Finals.

Li Na – 2014 Australian Open

Having lost the 2011 and 2013 finals in Melbourne, Chinese star Na finally claimed the title Down Under in 2014.

The 2011 French Open champion beat Dominika Cibulkova 7-6(3), 6-0 to lift her ninth career title at the Australian Open, in what proved to be the final victory of her career.

Injuries began to take their toll across the rest of 2014 and she confirmed her retirement from the sport in September.

Marion Bartoli – 2013 Wimbledon

Bartoli’s run to the Wimbledon title in 2013 was one of the ages, with the former world No 7 defying the odds to lift the title without dropping a set.

The 2007 runner-up and 15th seed defeated Sabine Lisicki 6-1, 6-4 to claim the title at SW19, and remains the most recent French winner of a singles major – male or female.

Just over a month later, Bartoli announced her immediate retirement from the sport, with her Wimbledon victory an eighth and final career title.

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Kim Clijsters – 2011 Australian Open

Seven years after losing the final in Melbourne, former world No 1 Clijsters finally won the Australian Open title to add to her three US Open victories.

The Belgian had returned to the top of the sport since returning in 2009 and won her third major in as many seasons by beating Na 3-6, 6-3, 6-3 in the 2011 final.

That was Clijsters’ 41st career title and she reached just one more final before retiring for the second time in August 2012.

Steffi Graf – 1999 French Open

A true great of the sport, Graf had not won a major in over two years heading into the 1999 French Open – an event she had won five times previously.

However, after beating chief rival Monica Seles in the last four, she battled back to beat Martina Hingis 4-6, 7-6, 6-2 and claim her 107th career title – and 22nd major.

The German lost in the Wimbledon final just a few weeks later and then ended her career in August 1999.

Evonne Goolagong – 1980 Wimbledon

Goolagond is perhaps best remembered for her Wimbledon title in 1980, becoming the first – and only – woman to lift the title as a mother.

Having previously lifted the title in 1971, the Australian defeated Chris Evert 6-1, 7-6(4) to win her seventh and final Grand Slam singles title.

It also proved to be the last of her 84th tournament victories, with the former No 1 retiring in 1983.

Barbara Jordan – 1979 Australian Open

Jordan’s 1979 Australian Open victory was not only the final title of her career – it was also the only title of her career.

With several high-profile stars not heading Down Under in that era, former world No 55 Jordan defeated Sharon Walsh 6-3, 6-3 to win the title 45 years ago.

The American would go on to win the 1983 French Open mixed doubles title, though this was the sole success of her singles career.

Chris O’Neil – 1978 Australian Open

Much like Jordan the following year, O’Neil’s 1978 Australian Open title proved to be the only singles success of her career.

The former world No 80 was unseeded in the draw but defied the odds to reach the final, where she beat Betsy Nagelsen 6-3, 7-6(3) to claim her sole major.

Until Barty’s triumph in 2022, O’Neil was the last Australian woman to win her home Slam.

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