Ranking the 10 most surprising Grand Slam women’s singles champions – ft. Emma Raducanu & Iga Swiatek
Fifty-nine different women have lifted Grand Slam singles titles in the Open Era, with an array of legendary champions crowned over the past six decades.
However, while some champions were expected to triumph — and did so multiple times — a few have defied the odds, almost coming from nowhere to capture one of the four biggest titles in tennis.
Factoring in the era in which they won, their event ranking and experience, and their overall career achievements, we rank the 10 most surprising Grand Slam women’s singles champions since the Open Era began in 1968.
10) Francesca Schiavone, 2010 French Open
Schiavone was seeded only 17th and had only three Grand Slam quarter-finals to her name heading into the 2010 French Open, with the Italian not in the conversation as a title contender.
But, after reaching her first Roland Garros quarter-final since 2001, the 29-year-old thrashed third seed Caroline Wozniacki to reach the semi-final, where she led Elena Dementieva by a set before the Russian’s retirement.
The Italian was a significant underdog in the final against seventh seed Sam Stosur — who had beaten top seed Serena Williams and fourth seed Jelena Jankovic to reach the final.
But Schiavone produced the performance of her life to claim the title with a stunning 6-4, 7-6(2) triumph, and remains the second-oldest first-time female major winner of the Open Era.
9) Barbora Jordan, 1979 Australian Open
A litany of top players in both the men’s and women’s games used to miss the Australian Open during the 1970s and 1980s, and Jordan was one of those to take advantage.
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Despite a career-high ranking of just 55th in the world, the American was the fifth seed in Melbourne that year, and beat second seed — and future great — Hana Mandlikova in straight sets in the last eight.
The 22-year-old followed that by beating two-time Grand Slam runner-up and third seed Renata Tomanova in the semi-final, before a 6-3, 6-3 victory over fourth seed Sharon Walsh in the final.
Jordan lost in the first round of her only other Australian Open main-draw appearance in 1983, and never made it past round three of any other major she contested.
8) Sloane Stephens, 2017 US Open
Just five tournaments into her comeback from a serious foot injury, few would have expected an 83rd-ranked Stephens to threaten at the US Open in 2017.
However, after using a protected ranking to enter the draw, the home favourite battled her way into an all-American women’s singles semi-final line-up, beating Anastasija Sevastova in a thrilling quarter-final.
Stephens proceeded to stun ninth seed — and in vintage form — Venus Williams in the last four to reach the final, where she needed less than an hour to see off a hampered Madison Keys 6-3, 6-0.
It remains the only major of her career, though she did reach the French Open final and hit a career-high ranking of world No 3 the following season.
7) Iga Swiatek, 2020 French Open
Swiatek is now a six-time Grand Slam singles champion and arguably the leading WTA player of her era, though her first major success at the 2020 French Open came as a significant shock.
Aged only 19, the Pole had never lifted a WTA title and was ranked down at 54th heading into Roland Garros, before a stunning 6-1, 6-2 win over title favourite and top seed Simona Halep in round four.
Swiatek then breezed past qualifiers Martina Trevisan and Nadia Podoroska to reach her first Grand Slam final, where she faced Sofia Kenin, the fourth seed and reigning Australian Open champion.
The future world No 1 needed little time in wrapping up a 6-4, 6-1 victory, kickstarting her era of tennis with one of the most remarkable Slam runs of the modern era.
6) Marketa Vondrousova, 2023 Wimbledon
Despite being a former French Open finalist and Olympic silver medallist, absolutely no one had Vondrousova on their radar heading into the 2023 Wimbledon championships.
The Czech held a 1-3 record at the tournament prior to 2023, though she surprisingly beat three seeds on her way to a first SW19 quarter-final, where she was a huge underdog against fourth seed Jessica Pegula.
But, after battling past the American from the brink of defeat, Vondrousova found herself in the semi-final, where she took advantage of a nervy Elina Svitolina to reach her second major final.
Vondrousova was a big underdog against sixth seed Ons Jabeur in the final, but kept her cool in a 6-4, 6-4 victory to become the tournament’s first unseeded women’s singles champion.
5) Flavia Pennetta, 2015 US Open
The 2015 US Open was all set to be about Serena Williams, but it was another tour veteran who ultimately took centre stage.
Seeded 26th, Pennetta generally produced her best Slam runs at the US Open and silently progressed through to the second week, with all eyes elsewhere.
After beating former champion Stosur in the fourth round, the Italian then battled past fifth seed Petra Kvitova in the last eight — before thrashing second seed Halep to reach the final.
A surprise all-Italian final was set after Roberta Vinci stunned Williams in the second semi-final, though in the final it was a 33-year-old Pennetta who prevailed 7-6(4), 6-2 to become the oldest woman to lift her first major.
4) Barbora Krejcikova, 2021 French Open
Though established as a hugely successful doubles player, Krejcikova had limited singles experience — and had only just won her first WTA title — heading into the 2021 French Open.
Competing in just her fourth main-draw of a singles Slam, the unseeded Czech shocked fifth seed Elina Svitolina in round three, before beating 24th seed Coco Gauff in the last eight.
That powered Krejcikova into the semi-final where, in a wild contest, she held her nerve — and saved match point — to battle past 17th seed Maria Sakkari and reach the final.
Fellow finalist, 31st seed Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, was also a surprise face in the championship match, but it was Krejcikova who held firm to seal a 6-1, 2-6, 6-4 victory, and claim the first of two major singles crowns.
3) Chris O’Neil, 1978 Australian Open
Australian star O’Neil never made it past 80th in the WTA Rankings, yet was the last home player to lift the title in Melbourne until Ashleigh Barty’s memorable 2022 triumph.
Unseeded in a field without many leading stars of the era, the 22-year-old beat third seed Beth Norton in the second round, and then thrashed Dianne Evers 6-0, 6-3 in the semi-final.
That set up a final against eighth seed Betsy Nagelsen, which O’Neil won 6-3, 7-6(3) to capture the Australian Open title — not dropping a set across her five matches.
O’Neil only made it to the third round of one other major — Wimbledon in 1974 — and her triumph was the only singles title of her career.
2) Jelena Ostapenko, 2017 French Open
Few have won a Grand Slam with such bombastic tennis as Ostapenko, who also remains one of the most surprising major champions of all time.
Nineteen at the start of the tournament, the world No 50 had not yet won a WTA title, and had never made it past the third round in seven previous Grand Slam appearances.
But, after knocking out former finalist Stosur in the fourth round, the Latvian battled past 11th seed Caroline Wozniacki in the quarter-final, before beating 30th seed Timea Bacsinszky in the semi-final — on her 20th birthday.
Ostapenko was a huge underdog against third seed and 2014 runner-up Halep in the final, but came from a set down — and deficits in both sets two and three — to claim a staggering 4-6, 6-4, 6-3 triumph.
1) Emma Raducanu, 2021 US Open
Realistically, could anyone else top this countdown?
Ranked 150th in the world, an 18-year-old Raducanu became the first — and to date, only — qualifier to win a Grand Slam singles title with a truly extraordinary run at the US Open in 2021.
Making it through qualifying without dropping a set, the Brit continued her momentum with a dominant run through the first four rounds of the main draw, before stunning 11th seed Belinda Bencic in the last eight.
A staggering 6-1, 6-4 win over 17th seed Sakarri in the last four saw her reach the final, where she saw off fellow surprise finalist Leylah Fernandez 6-4, 6-3 to complete her historic run.
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