9th place: Maria Sharapova( born April 19, 1987) is a Russian tennis player who won Wimbledon( 2004) once, the US Open( 2006), the Australian Open( 2008) and twice Roland Garros( 2012, 2014).In total for her career, Sharapova won 35 WTA tournaments.
see also The most successful Russian / Soviet tennis players. Top 7
8th place: Doris Hart / Doris Hart( born June 20, 1925) is an American tennis player who won 6 Grand Slam tournaments before the Open Era: once the Australian Open( 1949) and Wimbledon( 1951)) and twice the French Open( 1950, 1952) and the US Open( 1954, 1955).
7th place: Maureen Connolly / Maureen Connolly( September 17, 1934 - June 21, 1969) is an American tennis player, the first woman to collect a calendar Grand Slam. This happened in 1953.In her career, Connolly won 9 Grand Slam Tournaments: one time the Australian Open( 1953), two French Open( 1953, 1954) and three Wimbledon( 1952, 1953, 1954) and the US Open( 1951, 1952,1953).
6th place: Billie Jean King / Billie Jean King( born November 22, 1943) is an American tennis player who won 12 Grand Slam tournaments: once the Australian Open( 1968) and the French Open( 1972), fourtimes the US Open( 1967, 1971, 1972, 1974) and six times Wimbledon( 1966, 1967, 1968, 1972, 1973, 1975).In her career, Billie Jean King won 129 tournaments, including 84 in the Open Age. In addition to winning tournaments, Billy Jean King went down in history winning a tennis match called " Battle of the sexes ".
Background of the "Battle of the Sexes" is as follows: in the early 70's, tennis players actively fought for the recognition of women's tennis along with the male, in particular, achieving equal prizes for women and men( at that time the men's prizes were on average four times higher).In 1973, they achieved success when the size of the prize was equalized at the US Open. This caused criticism from those who believed that women's tennis can not be equated with the rights of men. The mouthpiece of this criticism was former tennis player Bobby Riggs, ex-first racket of the world. In 1973, the 55-year-old Riggs announced that men at his age could cope with any of the world's leading tennis players. Riggs challenged Billy Jean King, but she refused and instead, Margaret Court took the call. Riggs easily beat his opponent with a score of 6: 2, 6: 1.Then Billy Jin King still decided to speak in defense of women's tennis. The match was held in Houston on September 20, 1973.Look at the "Battle of the Sexes" was a huge number of viewers - 30472, this record attendance of a tennis match is not beaten in the US so far. A live broadcast of the match was also conducted, followed by 90 million spectators around the world. Participants of the match appeared on the court very effectively: Billy Jean King, like Cleopatra, was brought in an armchair by four men dressed as antique slaves;Bobby Riggs, in turn, came on a rickshaw driven by half-naked girl models. Unexpectedly for everyone, Billy Jin King quite easily won 6-4, 6-3, 6-3.Some suspected that Riggs passed the match, but then he went through the lie detector test and got himself dumped in full force. After this fight, interest in women's tennis in the US has increased dramatically. Other tennis players, including Williams sisters, Martina Navratilova and Justine Henin, later tried to repeat the famous "Battle of the Sexes", but they all lost to their male rivals.
Participants in the Battle of the Sexes: Billie Jean King and Bobby Riggs
5th place: Chris( Christina) EVERT / Chris Evert( born December 21, 1954) - American tennis player who won 18 Grand Slam tournaments: twice Open ChampionshipAustralia( 1982, 1984), three times Wimbledon( 1974, 1976, 1981), six times the US Open( 1975, 1976, 1977, 1978, 1980, 1982) and the record for women's tennis seven times French Open( 1974, 1975), 1979, 1980, 1983, 1985, 1986).Just for her career, Evert won 157 tournaments.
4th place: Martina Navratilova / Martina Navrátilová( born October 18, 1956) is a Czechoslovak and American tennis player who won 18 Grand Slam tournaments: twice French Open( 1982, 1984), three times Australian Open( 1981), 1983, 1985), four times the US Open( 1983, 1984, 1986, 1987) and a record nine times Wimbledon( 1978, 1979, 1982, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1990).In total for the career of Navratilov has won 167 tournaments in singles, which is a record in the Open era .
3rd place: Serena Williams / Serena Williams( born September 26, 1981) is an American tennis player who won 21 Grand Slam tournaments: three times the French Open( 2002, 2013, 2015) and six times the US Open( 1999, 2002, 2008, 2012, 2013, 2014), the Australian Open( 2003, 2005, 2007, 2009, 2010, 2015) and Wimbledon( 2002, 2003, 2009, 2010, 2015, 2015).In total, Serena won 68 WTA tournaments. In addition, Serene managed to collect the so-called career " Golden helmet ", i.e.win all the Grand Slam tournaments and the Olympic Games. Serena became the Olympic champion in tennis at the games in London in 2012.Serena Williams is also the record-holder for the earned prize - more than $ 72 million for a career.
2nd place: Margaret Court / Margaret Court( born July 16, 1942) is an Australian tennis player, has won 24 Grand Slam tournaments in women's singles, which is an absolute record of .Also, Court owns a record for the number of Australian Open championships won - eleven( 1960, 1961, 1962, 1963, 1964, 1965, 1966, 1969, 1970, 1971, 1973).Court won three times Wimbledon( 1963, 1965, 1970) and five times the French Open( 1962, 1964, 1969, 1970, 1973) and the US Open( 1962, 1965, 1969, 1970, 1973).In total for the career of , Margaret Court won 192 tournaments, which is also an record, although it should be noted that only 92 won tournaments( 11 of them were Grand Slam tournaments) fell on the Open Era. In 1970, Margaret Court collected a calendar Grand Slam, becoming the second tennis player in history and the first in the Open Age, who succeeded.
1st place: Steffi( Stephanie) / Steffi Graf( born June 14, 1969) is a German tennis player who won the 22 Grand Slam tournament( open-world record) : four times the Australian Open( 1988, 1989,1990, 1994), five times the US Open( 1988, 1989, 1993, 1995, 1996), six times the French Open( 1987, 1988, 1993, 1995, 1996, 1999) and seven times Wimbledon( 1988, 1989, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1995, 1996).In addition, Steffi Graf dvaji became the Olympic champion in tennis: in 1984 in Los Angeles and in 1988 in Seoul. In 1988 Steffi Graf managed to collect not only the calendar Big Helmet, but also the Golden Helmet - four Grand Slam wins won + the won Olympic Games. Steffi Graf - is the third woman in history to collect a calendar Grand Slam and the only woman in history - the holder of the calendar Golden helmet .In total for career Steffi Graf has won 107 tournaments.
see also The best tennis players in history. Top 7
Highest achievement in tennis - to assemble calendar Big helmet , i.e.win in one year four major tennis tournaments - Australian Open, French Open( Roland Garros), Wimbledon and the US Open. However, this task is almost impossible, especially in the Open Age, which began in 1968, when amateur and professional tennis was equalized. Only three women tennis players in history were able to collect a Grand Slam for one season.
However, there is such a thing as " career helmet " - winning all four major tournaments during a tennis career. Only ten tennis players were able to collect the Grand Slam for their careers. These ten top tennis players in history are presented in the ranking, which is made up by the number of won tournaments in the women's singles.
10th place: Shirley Fry / Shirley Fry( born June 30, 1927) is an American tennis player who, once before the Open Era, won all the Grand Slam tournaments once: French Open in 1951, Wimbledon and the US Open in1956 and the Australian Open in 1957.
