Women’s tennis has been a major part of the sport since the 1800s, and it remains one of the few athletic spaces where women’s competition has drawn equal popularity and prestige. Wimbledon welcomed women in 1884, and the Olympic Games followed in 1900. More than a century later, the audience is still growing: in 2024, the women’s Wimbledon singles final between Barbora Krejcikova and Jasmine Paolini attracted more than four million live viewers in the UK and two million in the US. In 2026, the debate over the greatest female players continues to generate strong opinions, and a fan vote has highlighted the legends who shaped tennis.

There was no doubt about the name at the top of the list, but the standard below it was extraordinarily high. The ranking begins with players who not only collected trophies but also pushed the sport forward.

Venus Williams: A Trailblazer On and Off the Court

Venus Williams holds an undisputed legacy in tennis. She won seven singles Grand Slam titles and was ranked world No. 1 by the WTA for eight weeks, peaking in February 2002. Her trophy cabinet includes 14 doubles Grand Slams and four Olympic gold medals, one of them in singles. Off the court, Venus fought for equal prize money at Wimbledon and the French Open in 2006, and she sits second on the WTA all-time earnings list with more than $40 million in career prize money.

Her influence went far beyond results. Alongside her sister, she helped make tennis more diverse and more visible around the world.

Justine Henin: The Queen of Clay and Mental Strength

Justine Henin dominated the 2000s, ending 2003, 2006 and 2007 as world No. 1. She spent 117 weeks at the top of the WTA rankings and collected seven Grand Slam titles, including four French Open crowns between 2003 and 2007. In 2006, she reached the final of all four major tournaments in a single season.

Henin was known for her elegant backhand and remarkable composure. She retired in 2011 due to an elbow injury, but her mental strength on court remains a benchmark. She was later inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame and received the Philippe Chatrier Award.

Billie Jean King: The Icon Who Changed the Game

Billie Jean King dominated women’s tennis for two decades after beginning her career in 1959. She won 39 Grand Slam titles across singles and doubles competition, including six Wimbledon singles titles and 10 doubles titles. From 1966 to 1975, she was ranked in the world top three every year and finished six of those years at No. 1.

King was a trailblazer away from the court as well. She founded the Women’s Tennis Association and the Women’s Sports Foundation, and her 1973 Battle of the Sexes victory over Bobby Riggs became one of the most significant moments in tennis history. Billie Jean King did not simply excel at tennis; she made the sport better for everyone.

Martina Hingis: The Youngest Prodigy

Martina Hingis burst onto the tennis scene in 1996 when she became the youngest player ever to win a Grand Slam, taking the Wimbledon doubles title at just 15 years old. In 1997, she became the youngest world No. 1 and won the Australian Open at 16.

In 1998, Hingis won all four Grand Slam women’s doubles titles. Her final senior singles major came in 1999, but her career still delivered a later milestone: in 2016 she completed the mixed doubles career Grand Slam by winning the French Open alongside Leander Paes. Hingis remains defined by a start that produced records which look almost untouchable in the modern game.

Margaret Court: The Record Holder

Margaret Court owns the most titles in tennis history, with 24 Grand Slam singles titles and 64 major titles overall. She was a force throughout the 1960s, winning eight Australian Opens during that decade before completing the calendar-year Grand Slam in 1970. That achievement made her the first woman to accomplish the feat in the Open Era.

By her retirement in 1977, Court had set stand-alone records that still stand today. Those include 21 singles titles in a single calendar year and an all-time women’s record of 192 singles titles.

Monica Seles: The Interrupted Great

Monica Seles spent 178 weeks as world No. 1 and finished 1991, 1992 and 1995 at the top of the rankings. She is the only tennis player ever to hold three consecutive Australian Open and French Open titles, and she won the Australian Open on her first attempt in 1991.

Her career was tragically disrupted in 1993 when she was stabbed during a match at the French Open. It took two years for Seles to return to tennis, and although she remained a major figure, her career was never quite the same.

Chris Evert: The Model of Consistency

Chris Evert was world No. 1 for 260 weeks, the fourth-most in history. She reached at least the semi-finals in 52 of the 56 majors she entered and retired in 1989 with 18 Grand Slam titles.

Evert holds the record for the most consecutive years winning at least one title, doing so every year between 1974 and 1986. She remains the only player to reach five consecutive finals at every single major. Few players in any era have matched that level of sustained excellence, and in 1997 she received the Philippe Chatrier Award.

Martina Navratilova: The Open Era Title Machine

Martina Navratilova holds the most career titles in the Open Era with 167. Her peak came in 1983 and 1984, when she won six consecutive singles majors and posted a 98.9% win rate in 1983.

Navratilova is one of only three players to complete a career Grand Slam in singles, doubles and mixed doubles. She won 18 singles Grand Slam titles between 1978 and 1990 and remains the most successful women’s Wimbledon player of all time with nine singles titles. She was world No. 1 for 332 weeks and received the Philippe Chatrier Award in 2009.

Steffi Graf: The Golden Standard

Steffi Graf was Monica Seles’ main rival during the early 1990s, but her greatest season came earlier. In 1988, Graf completed the calendar-year Grand Slam and won Olympic gold in Seoul, achieving a Golden Slam. She won 22 singles Grand Slam titles and spent a record 337 weeks at world No. 1, the most of any player.

Graf was known for dominating on every surface and retired in 1999 after reaching the Wimbledon final while ranked world No. 3. Her list of achievements is long, but in this fan ranking she finished just below the very top.

Serena Williams: The Greatest of All Time

Who else was it going to be? Serena Williams is the name most associated with women’s tennis, and she tops nearly every meaningful metric in the sport. She earned more prize money than any player in history, surpassing $90 million, and won a record 367 matches at major tournaments.

Serena is the only person ever to win a career Golden Slam in both singles and doubles. Her 23 major singles titles and 14 doubles titles, combined with 319 weeks at No. 1, underline a career that shaped modern tennis. Alongside Venus, she inspired millions of players around the world and created a legacy that fans ranked above every other player.

Key numbers from the fan ranking

Though the exact order will always be debated, the fan vote reaffirms that women’s tennis has produced generations of champions who not only collected trophies but also transformed the sport for those who followed.