You’ve probably seen the debates. People shouting across social media about who the real GOAT is, usually brandishing a single stat like it’s a holy relic. But honestly, picking the best female tennis players of all time is a mess. It’s a messy, glorious, complicated puzzle where the pieces don’t quite fit because the game kept changing the rules.
Tennis isn't just about who hit the ball hardest. It's about who survived the era they were dropped into.
Comparing a player from the 1960s who used a wooden racket and played on literal grass in the Australian heat to a modern athlete with a carbon-fiber frame and a team of data scientists is, basically, impossible. But we do it anyway. Because we love the argument.
The Numbers Trap: Why Margaret Court is the Hardest to Place
If you just look at the raw data, the conversation starts and ends with Margaret Court. 24 Grand Slam singles titles. That’s the number. It’s the mountain everyone else is trying to climb.
But there's a "but." There is always a "but."
Court won 11 of those titles at the Australian Open during a time when many of the world’s best players didn’t even bother making the trek down under. It was a different world. She was winning amateur titles and then professional ones, bridging the gap between two very different versions of the sport.
Yet, you can't just hand-wave her away. She achieved the "boxed set"—winning every major in singles, doubles, and mixed doubles. Twice. That is a level of dominance that feels like a typo when you read it. Her 91.7% winning percentage in Open Era finals is a terrifying statistic for anyone standing on the other side of the net. Still, her legacy is a lightning rod. Off-court controversies and the "amateur vs. pro" debate mean that even with the most titles, she’s rarely the first name people utter when they talk about the greatest.
Steffi Graf and the Year That Shattered Everything
- That’s the year.
Steffi Graf didn't just win; she evaporated the competition. She won the Australian Open, the French Open, Wimbledon, and the US Open. Then she hopped on a plane to Seoul and won Olympic Gold.
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The Golden Slam.
Nobody else has done it. Not Serena, not Martina, not Federer, not Djokovic. Just Steffi.
The "Fräulein Forehand" Factor
Graf’s game was a weird, beautiful anomaly. She had this "slice" backhand that she used like a shield, and a forehand that she used like a broadsword. She stayed at World No. 1 for 377 weeks. Think about that. That's over seven years of being the absolute best person on the planet at your job.
What’s wild is how she finished. She retired at 30 while ranked No. 3 in the world. She just... left. She had won 22 majors and decided she was done. There’s something kinda haunting about that. Most players hang on until their knees give out or they’re losing to qualifiers. Graf left while she was still a god.
Serena Williams: The Queen of the Modern Era
Then there's Serena. If Graf was a precision instrument, Serena was a force of nature.
She redefined what power looked like in women's tennis. Her serve wasn't just a way to start a point; it was a weapon that ended them. She finished with 23 Grand Slam singles titles, one shy of Court, but she did it in an era where the depth of talent was arguably much higher.
- Longevity: She won her first major in 1999 and her last in 2017.
- The "Serena Slam": Holding all four majors at the same time. She did this twice.
- Doubles Dominance: 14 major doubles titles with Venus. People forget she was basically the best doubles player in the world simultaneously.
The most insane part? She won the 2017 Australian Open while eight weeks pregnant. Honestly, that alone should probably end the GOAT debate. Most people struggle to walk up a flight of stairs in their first trimester; she was out-running the best athletes in the world to win a Grand Slam without dropping a set.
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The Great Rivalry: Navratilova vs. Evert
You can’t talk about the best female tennis players of all time without talking about the 80s. Martina Navratilova and Chris Evert played each other 80 times.
80.
Imagine having to face your greatest rival nearly every month for a decade. They pushed each other to be better because they had no choice. Navratilova brought athleticism and the serve-and-volley game to a new level. She won 167 singles titles and 177 doubles titles. Her 1984 season was ridiculous—she went 74-1. One loss.
Evert was the "Ice Maiden." She was the baseline queen. Her career winning percentage of 89.97% is the highest in the history of the sport (for both men and women). She reached the semifinals or better in 52 of the 56 Grand Slams she played. That’s not just talent; that’s a level of consistency that borders on the supernatural.
The "What If" That Still Hurts: Monica Seles
We have to talk about Monica Seles. It’s the biggest tragedy in sports history, period.
By the time she was 19, Seles had already won eight Grand Slams. She was dominating Steffi Graf. She was changing the way the game was played with two-handed shots on both sides and a primal grunt that rattled opponents.
Then came April 30, 1993. A deranged fan of her rival stabbed her in the back during a changeover in Hamburg.
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She was never the same. She came back, she won another Australian Open in '96, but the invincibility was gone. Most experts, including Navratilova, believe that if that stabbing hadn't happened, Seles would be sitting at the top of this list with 30+ titles. She was on a trajectory that made everyone else look like they were playing in slow motion.
So, Who Actually Wins?
There is no "correct" answer.
If you value peak dominance, you pick Steffi Graf in 1988.
If you value longevity and power, you pick Serena Williams.
If you value raw numbers, it’s Margaret Court.
If you value versatility, it’s Martina Navratilova.
The sport has evolved so much that comparing eras is mostly just a fun way to spend an afternoon at a bar. But if you’re looking for a way to actually weigh these legends, stop looking at just the trophy cabinet. Look at the "Top 10" win percentages. Look at how they performed when the match was on the line.
Actionable Takeaways for Tennis Fans
- Watch the Tape: Don't just look at stats. Go to YouTube and watch Navratilova at the net in '85 or Seles’s return of serve in '92. The styles are night and day.
- Context Matters: When you see the "24 vs 23" debate (Court vs Serena), remember that Serena played in the Open Era entirely, whereas Court's titles are split between eras.
- Appreciate the Current Era: We’re seeing a new shift now with players like Iga Świątek and Aryna Sabalenka. They are standing on the shoulders of these giants, and the speed of the game is hitting levels even Serena might have found challenging.
The real "best" is whoever made you fall in love with the game. For some, it’s the grace of Evert; for others, the fire of Serena. Just don't let anyone tell you it's a simple math problem. It never is.
Next Steps for Deepening Your Knowledge
Research the "Original Nine"—the group of women led by Billie Jean King who broke away to form their own tour in 1970. Without their rebellion over pay disparity, none of the names on this list would have had a platform to become legends in the first place. Understanding the politics of the 70s gives you a much better perspective on why the stats from that era look the way they do.