Tennis is one of the few sports where women’s tournaments receive as much, if not more, attention than men’s tournaments. As a result, many female tennis players are known all over the world. But who is the best female tennis player of all time? A simple question to answer, but impossible. If we compare the number of Grand Slams and weeks in the No. 1, and head to head records, we can get a very good idea of how good a person is.
We should also note that the game and tennis gear have changed over time, as has the way of training. So, while many of today’s players are better than athletes of previous generations, it’s safe to assume that older players would have done much better if they were born in today’s age. Now that we have established the ground rules, let’s see who is the best female tennis player of all time.
Fan Engagement During Major Tournaments
Fans often like to compare the greatest women’s tennis player of all time by comparing their titles, matchups, losing records, and performances to their biggest rivals. These discussions usually take place during games as they last up to four hours, or even more. In Hungary, tennis fans also like to play in the Weiss casino during the break, as it is a good way to pass the time. It’s a great site to check out on a break, as they process deposits and withdrawals quickly, and most of their casino games are fast.
Arguably, the number of Grand Slam titles is often the best way to measure a person’s athletic prowess. Therefore, we will use it extensively in our estimation as well.
The Top Competitors of the Greatest Women’s Tennis Players of All Time
For the purpose of this analysis, we took the most frequent names from the top 10 female tennis players of all time and compared them in different categories.
| Player name | Grand Slam Singles | Weeks at Number 1 | Win-Loss Record | Career Span | Era Dominance Score |
| Serena Williams | 23 | 319 | 858–156 (84.6% win rate) | 27 years | 2010-2019 |
| Steffi Graf | 22 | 377 | 279–32 (88.7% win rate) | 17 years | 1988-1990 |
| Martina Navratilova | 18 | 332 weeks | 1,442–219 (86.82% win rate) | 40 | 1982 and 1986 |
| Margaret Court | 24 | Data not available | 1,180–107 (92% winning ratio) | 18 | 1969-1973 |
| Chris Evert | 18 | 260 | 1309–146 (89.97% win rate) | 20 | 1974-1976 |
Serena Williams – Widely Considered the Greatest Women’s Tennis Player of All Time
While Serena is undoubtedly one of the most famous women’s tennis players in history, and clearly the best player of her time, some older fans of the sport don’t consider her a GOAT. With 23 Grand Slams, the ability to stay in the game for nearly three decades, and a 19-12 record against her sister and rival Venus Williams, it’s hard not to view the naysayers’ opinion as pure bias. She reigned in an era when tennis was more inclusive and competitive, so it’s hard not to consider her the No. 1 tennis player of all time for women.
Steffi Graf – All-Surface Mastery
This is another strong contender despite having one Grand Slam title less than Serena. He spent more time in first place, and percentage-wise he has a better win rate. However, Serena was able to maintain her reign for 10 more years. Now, one thing Graf has going for her is the ability to stay dominant in all areas, and she is the only woman to win six Grand Slams on Grass, Clay, and Hard terrain.
Era-by-Era comparison table
Comparing the best female tennis players of all time based on their achievements is completely wrong. The competition has undergone format changes over the past decades, and these aspects should be considered again.
| Time | Top player | The Depth of Competition | Average Length of Jobs | Historical Context |
| Open Front | Margaret Court, Helen Wills Moody | There were top players competing, and it was easy to qualify | 12.1 years | This was an era when professionals rarely competed against novices, and novices were rarely compensated for playing. |
| Early Open | Margaret Court, Chris Evert, and Martina Navratilova | It is more competitive than the Pre-Open | 10-12 years | A major change took place during this period (1968-1975), as novices and professionals could no longer compete with each other. |
| Modern | Serena Williams, Steffi Graf | It is very high and very physically demanding | 15-16 years | Levels of competition have been raised. Even the top players lose to someone ranked below 20. |
| In the meantime | Aryna Sabalenka, Elena Rybakina, Iga Swiatek, | A very deep world full of veteran players and fast rising stars | 14.2 years | Right now we are seeing competition with players who are incredibly talented. Even the lower level athletes are better than the big tennis women of the early and early open seasons. |
With all these things in mind it is more clear why the top contenders are Serena and Steffi. Serena has now won 73% of her Grand Slam finals, while Steffi won 77%, which is another reason why there is a split between fans and experts in the public about who should be considered the best female tennis players of all time.
Final Inspection
The division between fans and experts will continue on this question. It doesn’t help that Serena and Steffi played to a draw twice, the scores are equal (1-1). Since both are competing in the modern era, it seems fair to compare them based on raw numbers, and those are in Steffi’s favor. He has held the No. 1 ranking for a long time, won four Grand Slams and an Olympic gold medal in the same year, and has great consistency on the court.
Now it wouldn’t be fair to ignore career longevity when Serena earned 10 years in total, and is still above the average for the era. Therefore, there is a perfect reason to answer this question based on personal criteria, and for most fans, the title of the top female tennis players of all time should go to Serena.
