The 7 youngest WTA Finals champions – ft. Monica Seles, Maria Sharapova, Steffi Graf

Oli Dickson Jefford 05 Nov 2024 3:11 PM

WTA legends Monica Seles, Maria Sharapova, and Steffi Graf.

Winning the WTA Finals is one of the greatest achievements in tennis, and some all-time greats of the sport have found huge success at the tournament early on in their careers.

Here, we look at the seven youngest players to seal a maiden WTA Finals title since the tournament was first held in 1972.

7) Gabriela Sabatini – 18 years, six months (1988)

A two-time WTA Finals champion, former world No 3 Sabatini was just 18 years old when she lifted the title for the first time in 1988.

Having been beaten in the 1987 final, the Argentine was the fourth seed in 1988 and defeated Katerina Maleeva, Natasha Zvereva, and Helena Sukova to make the final.

There she was up against Pam Shriver – who had stunned Steffi Graf in the last four – though Sabatini eased her way to a 7-5, 6-2, 6-2 triumph.

6) Steffi Graf – 18 years, five months (1987)

Graf was a five-time winner of the WTA Finals, and her first triumph aged 18 years and four months in 1987 teed up her historic 1988 season.

The German had lost the 1986 final though returned 12 months later as a major champion and world No 1, and dropped just five games on her way to the championship match.

Graf was up against long-time rival Sabatini, though battled from a set down to seal a 4-6, 6-4, 6-0, 6-4 victory.

5) Martina Hingis – 18 years (1998)

Two years after losing the final as a 16-year-old, five-time major champion Hingis won the first of her two WTA Finals singles crowns less than a month after celebrating her 18th birthday.

The Swiss dropped the opening set in her round one clash versus Patty Schnyder but then did not lose another on her way to setting up a final versus world No 1 and top seed Lindsay Davenport.

Hingis prevailed 7-5, 6-4, 4-6, 6-2 to lift the title, and would go on to win it for a second time in 2000.

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4) Chris Evert – 17 years, nine months (1972)

A true all-time great of the sport, Evert was just 17 years old when she won the first edition of the WTA Finals back in 1972.

The fourth seed in the draw, the American did not drop a set on her way to the final, notably toppling top seed Billie Jean King in the semi-final.

That set up a final against sixth seed Kerry Melville, which Evert won 7-4, 6-4 to win the first of her four WTA Finals titles.

3) Maria Sharapova – 17 years, six months (2004)

Months after stunning the tennis world with her Wimbledon triumph, Sharapova capped off her breakthrough 2004 season by lifting her sole WTA Finals title.

The Russian finished second in her group at the year-end championships and then rallied from a set down to beat compatriot Anastasia Myskina in the last four.

Sharapova then fought past Serena Williams 4-6, 6-2, 6-4 – her final win over the American – to lift one of the biggest titles of her career.

2) Tracy Austin – 17 years, three months (1980)

Austin was just 17 years old when she won her first and only WTA Finals title in 1980.

The US Open champion dropped just one set on her way to reaching the final, defeating Billie Jean King to set up a championship match against Martina Navratilova – who she had lost to in 1979.

The American was able to turn the tables in this contest, prevailing 6-2, 2-6, 6-2 to triumph.

1) Monica Seles – 16 years, 11 months (1990)

In a record unlikely to ever be broken, Seles was a month shy of her 17th birthday when she lifted the first of three consecutive WTA Finals titles in 1990.

The second seed in the draw, Seles dropped just one set on her way to the final, where she faced off against former champion and fourth seed Sabatini.

In a match widely considered among the greatest in WTA history, the future world No 1 fought her way to a 6-4, 5-7, 3-6, 6-4, 6-2 victory to capture the title for the first time.

Seles was still in her teens when she successfully defended her crown in 1991 and 1992.