5 oldest French Open women’s champions: ft. Serena Williams, Steffi Graf and Chris Evert

Ewan West 29 May 2024 4:33 PM

Serena Williams and Chris Evert are the two oldest French Open champions

Serena Williams and Chris Evert celebrate winning the French Open

Serena Williams won three of her 23 Grand Slam singles titles at the French Open and she is the oldest Open Era women’s champion at the event.

World No 1 Iga Swiatek is the defending Roland Garros champion and has won three of the last four editions of the clay-court Grand Slam.

Here, we look at the five oldest different women’s singles champions at the French Open in the Open Era.

5) Francesca Schiavone – 29 years, 347 days (2010)

Francesca Schiavone defeated Samantha Stosur 6–4, 7–6(2) in the 2010 French Open final to win her first and only Grand Slam title.

She became the first Italian woman to win a Major singles title and the first woman who was not a top 10 seed to triumph at Roland Garros in the Open Era. Schiavone is still the last woman with a single-handed backhand to win a Grand Slam in singles.

4) Steffi Graf – 29 years, 356 days (1999)

Steffi Graf claimed her 22nd and final Grand Slam crown 10 days before her 30th birthday at the 1999 French Open, where she defeated Swiss star Martina Hingis 4–6, 7–5, 6–2 in the title match.

The tennis legend, who was seeded sixth, became the first player to beat the top three ranked players in a Grand Slam tournament.

The German downed No 2 seed Lindsay Davenport in the quarter-finals and No 3 seed Monica Seles in the semi-finals, before her final triumph over world No 1 seed Hingis.

3) Margaret Court – 30 years, 321 days (1973)

At the age of 30 years and 321 days, Margaret Court battled past Chris Evert 6–7(5), 7–6(6), 6–4 in a tight championship match at Roland Garros in 1973.

It was a fifth and final French Open title for the Australian tennis great, who holds the all-time record for women’s Major singles titles with 24.

2) Chris Evert – 31 years, 168 days (1986)

Chris Evert overcame her great rival Martina Navratilova 2–6, 6–3, 6–3 in the final of the 1986 French Open to secure her 18th and last Major singles title.

It was the tennis icon’s seventh Roland Garros crown and she still holds the record for women’s singles titles at the clay-court Grand Slam.

1) Serena Williams – 33 years, 253 days (2015)

Serena Williams defeated Lucie Safarova 6–3, 6–7(2), 6–2 in the championship match at Roland Garros in 2015, making the tennis legend the oldest Open Era women’s singles champion at the event.

The American impressively battled through illness and won five three-set matches during her run to her third French Open title and 20th Major singles crown.