US Open: The 9 greatest women’s singles champions – ranked!
The US Open has delivered some truly memorable champions over the years, with some of the biggest names in WTA history lifting the title.
With this year’s tournament just a week away, we’ve gone back through the record books to rank the nine greatest US Open women’s singles champions of the Open Era.
9) Venus Williams
Titles: 2000-01
Finals: 1997, 2002
Few players have ever received as much support as Venus at the Open, with the home favourite a beloved figure in New York.
She had her first significant breakthrough at the event in 1997, defying her unseeded status to reach the final before a defeat to Martina Hingis.
But three years later she claimed the title for the first time, beating Lindsay Davenport, and then beat younger sister Serena to defend her crown in 2001.
Venus reached a third straight final in 2002, losing to Serena on that occasion.
8) Monica Seles
Titles: 1991-92
Finals: 1995-96
A true legend of the game, some of Seles’s greatest moments came in New York.
Amid her dominant 1991 season, the teen star captured her first title, downing Martina Navratilova in the final, and she successfully defended the title by beating Arantxa Sanchez Vicario in 1992.
Seles missed the tournament in 1993 and 1994 after her tragic stabbing but returned in 1995, battling to the final before a defeat to Steffi Graf.
She would never win another US Open and also lost to Graf in the 1996 final, though her campaigns in New York cemented her place as one of tennis’ great competitors.
7) Kim Clijsters
Titles: 2005, 2009-10
Finals: 2003
Clijsters won three of her four Slams in New York, and her first two triumphs remain particularly memorable.
After four Grand Slam final defeats, including at the Open in 2003, the Belgian finally claimed her first major at the event in 2005 by fending off Mary Pierce in the final.
Four years later, competing as a mother and in just her third event back from retirement, Clijsters became the only wildcard to triumph – an epic run culminating in victory over Caroline Wozniacki.
The hugely popular star only added to her legacy in 2010 with a successful title defence, breezing past Vera Zvonareva.
6) Margaret Court
Titles: 1969-70, 1973
Court won five US Open titles across her legendary career, and three of them came during the Open Era.
The Australian’s first US Open victory of the professional age came in 1969 when she beat home favourite Nancy Richey in the final, and victory over Rosie Casals in 1970 saw her retain her crown.
Three years later – back competing as a mum – Court won her final career major in New York, beating compatriot Evonne Goolagong in a three-set battle.
Before the Open Era, she had previously won the title in 1962 and 1965.
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5) Billie Jean King
Titles: 1971-72, 1974
Finals: 1968
Another figure that spanned the amateur and professional age, King was a three-time winner of her home Slam during the Open Era.
Having won the final amateur edition of the event in 1967, she was the runner-up in the first US Open of the Open Era, falling to Virginia Wade.
However, King would go on to claim back-to-back titles in 1971 and 1972, defeating Casals and Kerry Melville Reid respectively.
The American won her fourth and final US Open title in 1974, beating Goolagong in the final.
4) Martina Navratilova
Titles: 1983-84, 1986-87
Finals: 1981, 1985, 1989, 1991
The US Open was the final major that Navratilova won in singles to complete the career Grand Slam, and would go on to win the title four times.
The Czech-American defeated great rival Chris Evert to lift her first title in New York in 1983 and then beat Evert again to lift the title in 1984.
Two years later she regained the title with victory over Helena Sukova, and then made it back-to-back triumphs by defeating Graf in the 1987 final.
Navratilova also reached further finals in 1981, 1985, 1989, and 1991.
3) Steffi Graf
Titles: 1988-89, 1993, 1995-96
Finals: 1987, 1990, 1994
One of the greatest players of all time, Graf won five of her 22 Grand Slam singles titles in New York.
In 1988 she defeated Gabriela Sabatini to win her first US Open and complete the Calendar Grand Slam, and the German then beat Navratilova to retain her title in 1989.
Graf regained the title in 1993 by beating Sukova and then won her fourth and fifth titles in 1995 and 1996, defeating Seles in both finals.
She was also the runner-up to Navratilova in 1987, Sabatini in 1990, and Sanchez Vicario in 1994.
2) Chris Evert
Titles: 1975-1978, 1980, 1982
Finals: 1979, 1983-84
One of the first big stars of the professional era, few have been able to match the success of 18-time major champion Evert at the tournament.
The US star won a joint-record six titles in New York, with the first four all coming consecutively.
Evert beat Goolagong in 1975 and 1976, before overcoming Wendy Turnbull and Pam Shriver in the 1977 and 1978 finals respectively.
The former world No 1 beat Hana Mandlikova to lift her fifth title in 1980, before seeing off the Czech again in 1982 for her final title at the event.
Evert was also runner-up to Tracy Austin in 1979, and Navratilova in 1983 and 1984.
1) Serena Williams
Titles: 1999, 2002, 2008, 2012-14
Finals: 2001, 2011, 2018-19
Arguably the greatest female player of all time, Serena set a hugely impressive legacy at her home major – with six titles and a further four runner-up finishes.
Serena memorably claimed her first title as a 17-year-old in 1999, beating Hingis in the final, and then regained the title in 2002, defeating sister Venus as part of the first ‘Serena Slam.’
Six years later she claimed a long-awaited third title by beating Jelena Jankovic, and would then win three straight titles from 2012 to 2014.
Serena beat Victoria Azarenka in the 2012 and 2013 finals, before beating Caroline Wozniacki for her final title in 2014.
She was also the runner-up in 2001, 2011, 2018 and 2019, reaching ten finals in total.
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