The 5 youngest women to win a WTA 1000 title – ft. Serena Williams, Maria Sharapova
WTA 1000 titles are among the biggest and most prestigious in tennis – and it has not taken long for some players to taste success at that level.
Here, we look at the five youngest women to lift a WTA 1000 title since the format was first updated back in 1990.
5) Maria Sharapova, 2005 Pan Pacific Open – 17 years, 293 days
Our countdown starts with five-time major champion Sharapova, who was just 17 when she won the first of her 14 WTA 1000 titles in Tokyo almost two decades ago.
The Russian was the reigning Wimbledon champion and had already come close to winning a WTA 1000 title, losing the Zurich Open final at the end of 2004.
Sharapova was the second seed at the Pan Pacific Open in 2005 and eased through to the final without dropping a set, booking a date with then world No 1 Lindsay Davenport.
In a nailbiting contest, it was the second seed who prevailed, prevailing 6-1, 3-6, 7-6(5) to lift her first WTA 1000 final weeks before her 18th birthday.
4) Serena Williams, 1999 Indian Wells – 17 years, 169 days
All-time great Williams became the youngest Indian Wells champion in history thanks to her triumph at the famed event 25 years ago.
The American was well-known as one of the hottest prospects in the women’s game, though was unseeded heading into the tournament.
Williams beat sixth seed Mary Pierce in two tight sets to reach the last four, where she downed 12th seed Sandrine Testud to set up a generational clash with fellow legend Steffi Graf.
In the second and final meeting between the two, Williams battled her way to a memorable 6-3, 3-6, 7-5 triumph to lift the title aged only 17 – and win the first of 23 WTA 1000 titles.
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3) Martina Hingis, 1997 Pan Pacific Open – 16 years, 125 days
No youngest-ever countdown is ever complete without an appearance from Hingis, one of the greatest junior prodigies tennis has ever seen.
Alongside five Grand Slam singles titles and 209 weeks as world No 1, the Swiss was the winner of 17 WTA 1000 titles – with her first coming at just 16 years of age.
Runner-up at the Italian Open and Zurich Open in 1996, Hingis was second seed at the 1997 Pan Pacific Open and defeated fourth seed Anke Huber in three sets to reach the final.
She was handed the title automatically when top seed Graf was forced to pull out of the final with injury, handing Hingis her first WTA 1000 title just weeks after winning her first Australian Open title.
2) Monica Seles, 1990 Miami Open – 16 years, 114 days
A true tennis great, Seles was just 16 years old when she claimed her first WTA 1000 title under the new format introduced in 1990.
Seles was the third seed at the 1990 Miami Open and cruised through to the final without dropping a set, downing ninth seed Nathalie Tauziat in the last four.
That set up a final against surprise finalist Judith Wiesner, which the 16-year-old won 6-1, 6-2 to lift the title.
Seles’ triumph came just weeks before she became one of the youngest Grand Slam champions of all time at the 1990 French Open.
1) Jennifer Capriati, 1991 Canadian Open – 15 years, 135 days
In a record unlikely to ever be broken, Capriati was just 15 years old when she claimed her first WTA 1000 title at the Canadian Open in 1991.
The junior prodigy was already a French Open and Wimbledon semi-finalist and had come close to winning her first WTA 1000 title at the Charleston Open in 1990 when she was just 14.
Seeded third in Toronto, Capriati thrashed ninth seed Natasha Zvereva in the last eight before benefitting from the retirement of top seed Gabriela Sabatini in their semi-final clash.
That set up a final against fourth seed Katerina Maleeva, which the future world No 1 won 6-2, 6-3 to make history.
It was the first of two titles at this level for Capriati, who also won the Charleston Open in 2001.
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