The 4 women with the most Charleston Open titles: Chris Evert with 8, Serena Williams 4th
The Charleston Open is the biggest clay court title up for grabs on US soil, and some of the greatest players to ever pick up a racket have triumphed at the tournament.
Only four women have ever lifted the title three times or more – and they may just be the four greatest female players of the Open Era.
4) Serena Williams – Three titles
No one this century has won as many Charleston Open titles as Williams, who is a three-time champion on the green clay.
The 23-time Grand Slam champion first reached the final back in 2004, though was beaten 6-4, 6-3 by long-time rival and clay great Justine Henin.
However, Williams bounced back four years later to claim the title in 2008, battling past Vera Zvonareva 6-4, 3-6, 6-3 in the final.
Williams then thrashed Lucia Safarova 6-0, 6-1 to claim her second title in 2012, before rallying from a set down to defeat Jelena Jankovic 3-6, 6-0, 6-2 in the 2013 final.
=2) Martina Navratilova – Four titles
Just ahead of Williams in the all-time standings is Navratilova, who holds an impressive record of four titles at the tournament.
The Czech-born American reached her first final at the tournament five decades ago in 1975, falling to long-time rival Chris Evert.
However, Navratilova would claim the title in 1982 with a 6-4, 6-2 victory over Andrea Jaeger, before defending her title in 1983 with a 5-7, 6-1, 6-0 triumph over two-time champion Tracy Austin.
After a five-year wait, the former world No 1 regained her title in 1988 with a 6-1, 4-6, 6-4 win over Gabriela Sabatini, and then downed Jennifer Capriati 6-2, 6-4 for her final triumph in 1990.
=2) Steffi Graf – Four titles
Matching Navratilova on four titles is fellow tennis icon Graf, who was only 16 years old when she claimed her first title in 1986.
The German defeated Evert 6-4, 7-5 to claim the title for the first time, before successfully defending her title in 1987 thanks to a 6-2, 4-6, 6–3 win against Manuela Maleeva-Fragniere.
After not competing in 1988, Graf returned in 1989 and regained her crown with a 6-1, 6-1 victory over Natasha Zvereva – the woman she had infamously double-bagelled in the 1988 French Open final.
Graf then claimed a fourth and final Charleston title in 1993, seeing off long-time rival Arantxa Sanchez Vicario 7-6(8), 6-1.
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1) Chris Evert – Eight titles
Evert is arguably the greatest female clay-courter of the modern era and is undoubtedly Charleston’s greatest-ever champion, with a staggering haul of eight titles to her name.
The former world No 1 won five straight Charleston titles at the peak of her powers, starting with a 6-1, 6-3 victory over Kerry Melville Reid in the 1974 final.
That was followed by a 7-5, 6-4 triumph over Navratilova in 1975, a 6-2, 6-2 win over Melville Reid in 1976, a 6-0, 6-1 thrashing of Billie Jean King in 1977, and a 6-2, 6-0 victory over Melville Reid in 1978.
After missing out in 1979 and 1980, Evert regained her title in 1981 with a 6-3, 6-2 victory over Pam Shriver, before sealing back-to-back titles in 1984 and 1985.
Evert defeated Claudia Kohde-Kilsch 6-2, 6-3 for her seventh title in 1984 and then claimed a 6-4, 6-0 victory over Sabatini in 1985 – before losing to Graf in 1986.
Honourable mentions
Williams, Evert, Navratilova, and Graf are the only four women to have won three titles or more in Charleston, but a further five women have lifted the title twice.
They are:
– Tracy Austin (1979-80)
– Gabriela Sabatini (1991-92)
– Conchita Martinez (1994-95)
– Martina Hingis (1997, 1999)
– Justine Henin (2003, 2005)
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