The 9 best WTA players to never win a Grand Slam title: ft Karolina Pliskova, Dinara Safina, Elena Dementieva
Winning a Grand Slam singles title is one of the toughest feats in tennis, and an array of incredible WTA players have just missed out on major success across their careers.
Here, looking at overall longevity and era, career achievements, and best results, we ranked the nine best WTA players to never win a Grand Slam.
This countdown focuses solely on players who competed entirely in the Open Era.
9) Vera Zvonareva
Grand Slam finals: 2
Career-high ranking: 2
WTA titles: 12
Our countdown starts with former world No 2 Zvonareva, a multiple Slam champion in doubles who also came close to singles success.
The Russian reached Wimbledon and US Open finals within weeks of each other in 2010, though lost both finals – beaten by Serena Williams at SW19, and Kim Clijsters in New York.
Zvonareva was also an Australian Open semi-finalist in 2009 and 2011 and won 12 WTA singles titles, including Indian Wells in 2009.
8) Andrea Jaeger
Grand Slam finals: 2
Career-high ranking: 2
WTA titles: 10
Jaeger’s career lasted only five years, though the former teen prodigy managed to win 10 WTA singles titles and made a further 26 finals – including two at Grand Slam level.
She had just turned 17 when she lost the 1982 French Open final to Martina Navratilova and was then beaten by the all-time great in the Wimbledon final a year later.
A two-time US Open and former Australian Open semi-finalist, Jaeger retired when she was just 20 in 1985 – though made a significant impact across her short career.
7) Dinara Safina
Grand Slam finals: 3
Career-high ranking: 1
WTA titles: 12
A former world No 1, Safina’s time at the top of the game was short – though she managed to reach three Grand Slam singles finals in the space of a year.
The Russian was beaten in the 2008 French Open final by Ana Ivanovic, before losing to Williams at the 2009 Australian Open and compatriot Svetlana Kuznetsova at the 2009 French Open.
Safina won 12 WTA singles titles and spent 26 weeks atop the WTA Rankings, also winning Olympic silver and making the last four of Wimbledon and the US Open before playing her final match in 2011.
6) Agnieszka Radwanska
Grand Slam finals: 1
Career-high ranking: 2
WTA titles: 20
A perennial fan favourite and a former world No 2, Radwanska’s unique brand of tennis dazzled crowds across the globe – and often left her opponents bewildered.
The closest the Pole came to winning a major was at Wimbledon, where she fell in the 2012 final to Williams before suffering heartbreaking semi-final losses in 2013 and 2015.
Radwanska won an impressive 20 WTA singles titles – the second-most of any woman not to win a Slam – and was also an Australian Open semi-finalist, retiring in 2018.
5) Helena Sukova
Grand Slam finals: 4
Career-high ranking: 4
WTA titles: 10
A winner of 17 major titles across women’s and mixed doubles, Sukova also came close to winning a Grand Slam singles title in her long career.
The Czech was twice a runner-up at the Australian Open, losing to Chris Evert in 1984 and Steffi Graf in 1989, and was also a beaten US Open finalist in 1986 and 1993 – losing to Navratilova and Graf respectively.
Also a Roland Garros semi-finalist, Sukova reached a singles high of world No 4 and was the winner of 10 WTA singles titles.
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4) Jelena Jankovic
Grand Slam finals: 1
Career-high ranking: 1
WTA titles: 15
One of three WTA players to reach world No 1 and not win a Grand Slam, ‘The Empress’ was a popular figure throughout her playing career.
Jankovic’s sole Grand Slam final came at the US Open in 2008, losing to Williams, though she reached three semi-finals at Roland Garros, alongside further last four appearances in New York and Melbourne.
The Serbian won 15 WTA titles and reached another 21 finals across her impressive career; though never officially announcing her retirement, she last played in 2017.
3) Pam Shriver
Grand Slam finals: 1
Career-high ranking: 3
WTA titles: 21
A bonafide doubles icon, Shriver also won 21 singles titles across her career – the most of any WTA player without lifting a singles Slam.
The former world No 3 was just 16 when she lost her sole major singles final at the 1978 US Open, beaten by fellow American Evert in straight sets.
Shriver reached multiple US Open, Wimbledon, and Australian Open semi-finals throughout her career but, up against the likes of Navratilova and Evert, never quite broke through.
2) Karolina Pliskova
Grand Slam finals: 2
Career-high ranking: 1
WTA titles: 17
Undoubtedly the most decorated active WTA player without a Grand Slam, Pliskova is also among the best-ever female players to never triumph at a major.
The big-serving Czech has spent eight weeks as world No 1 and was the runner-up at two Grand Slam tournaments, losing to Angelique Kerber at the 2016 US Open and Ashleigh Barty at Wimbledon in 2021.
Pliskova has won 17 WTA titles across her career and is also a former semi-finalist at both the Australian Open and French Open.
1) Elena Dementieva
Grand Slam finals: 2
Career-high ranking: 3
WTA titles: 16
Despite not reaching world No 1 or winning as many titles as some, Dementieva’s achievements across one of the best eras of women’s tennis place her No 1 in our countdown.
The Russian was a runner-up at both the French Open and US Open in 2004, losing to compatriots Anastasia Myskina and Kuznetsova respectively.
Dementieva was also twice a semi-finalist at Wimbledon and reached the last four of the Australian Open, alongside further semi-final showings in Paris and New York.
A winner of 16 WTA singles titles and an Olympic gold medallist, the former world No 3 tops our ranking.
Honourable mentions
Wendy Turnbull: Australian star Turnbull was a three-time Grand Slam finalist, reaching a career-high of world No 3 and winning 11 WTA singles titles.
Mary Joe Fernandez: Former world No 4 Fernandez reached three major finals in the early 1990s, and won seven WTA titles
Elina Svitolina: Perhaps the best WTA player to never make a Slam final, former world No 3 Svitolina has reached three major semi-finals, won the WTA Finals, and has lifted 17 titles in total.