The Most Stunning Female Tennis Players To Ever Grace The Court
Female athletes don't usually get the credit they deserve. Many of the most talented tennis players from around the world happen to be women. Over the years they have put in hard work and dedication to get where they are today. From Venus and Serena Williams to Maria Sharapova, here are some of the greatest tennis goddesses to hit the courts.
Laura Robson Hasn't Toured In Years
One of Laura Robson's biggest accomplishment was winning the silver medal at the 2012 London Olympics in the mixed-doubles event.
That same year, Robson reached the fourth round of the US Open singles championship. After undergoing hip surgery in the summer of 2018, she has been inactive on the WTA Tour.
Svetlana Kuznetsova Isn't The Only Athlete In Her Family
Born in Saint Petersburg, Russia, Svetlana Kuznetsova is best-known for her two Grand Slam wins in both the singles and doubles categories.
She made history by becoming the first Russian woman to earn a US Open title. Also, her mother is a famous cyclist and her brother is an Olympic medalist.
Ana Ivanović Is A French Open Champion
Ana Ivanović was born on November 6, 1987 in Belgrade, Serbia and is a Serbian former world No. 1 tennis player.
She earned the top ranking in her early 20s after winning the 2008 French Open. Ivanović announced her retirement in 2016 after revealing that she is no longer able to compete at a high standard.
Anna Kournikova Retired Because Of This
Hailing from Moscow, Russia, Anna Kournikova was able to place as the world No. 8 in singles tennis rankings.
While she has never won a singles title, she was No. 1 in doubles with Martina Hingis. Unfortunately, Kournikova had to retire from tennis because of a spinal injury. She is now a TV personality.
Sania Mirza Was Honored In Time Magazine
One of the most impressive doubles tennis players is Mumbai, India-based Sania Mirza. Currently, she has won six Grand Slam titles.
Mirza was named one of the 50 Heroes of Asia in Time magazine in 2005 and was on their 100 most influential people in the world list in 2016.
Martina Hingis Set A Huge Tennis Record
Tennis fans got to know superstar Martina Hingis at a young age. She made history by winning the Australian Open at the age of 16.
She became the youngest Grand Slam singles winner of the 20th century. Hingis spent a total of 209 weeks as the singles world No. 1 and 90 weeks as doubles world No. 1.
Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova Is A Tennis Prodigy
Born in Samara, Russia in 1991, Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova is the current No. 1 women's tennis player in her home country.
She became well-known for her mixed doubles gold medal win at the 2021 Tokyo Olympics. Pavlyuchenkova also earned her first Grand Slam singles final spot the same year. She is considered a prodigy after getting to compete at Wimbledon at age 15.
Naomi Osaka Made Headlines
Current tennis fans have most likely heard of 24-year-old Naomi Osaka. She made history by becoming the first player of Asian origin to hold the world number one rank in singles.
Osaka was in the news in 2021 after she withdrew from the French Open and refused to participate in the press conference.
Angelique Kerber Got A Later Start
While many tennis players get their start in their teen years, Angelique Kerber proved that women can still compete at a high standard as they age.
She won her first Grand Slam at 28-years-old and was the former world No. 1 German player. Some of what makes her great include her defensive tactics, speed, and footwork.
Sloane Stephens Created A Charity
Sloane Stephens was inspired to become a professional athlete because of her parents. Her mother was a swimmer and her father was a football player.
She started playing tennis at the age of nine and now the almost 28-year-old has six singles titles. Stephens also started her own charity that supports the needs of disadvantaged tennis players.
Mirka Federer Has A Famous Husband
Mirka Federer may be famous for being the wife of legendary tennis player Roger Federer, but she has her own accomplishments.
She was consistently ranked as one of the top 100 female tennis players in the world and was able to reach the third round of the US Open. Federer retired from tennis in 2002 because of a foot injury.
Gabriela Sabatini Is Doing This After Retiring
One of the top tennis players of the 1980s and 1990s was Gabriela Sabatini. Born in Buenos Aires, Argentina, she earned 41 titles throughout her career.
In 2006, Sabatini was honored with a spot in the International Tennis Hall of Fame. Now, she is a renowned businesswoman and runs a line of fragrances.
Heather Watson Has Earned Millions In Prize Money
Over the course of Heather Watson's career, she has won four single titles and five other titles. The almost 30-year-old became the first British female player to win a WTA singles title since 1988.
One of her most recent victories was winning the mixed doubles at Wimbledon in 2016. Also, she has earned over four million dollars in prize money.
Sofia Kenin's Sweet Victory
Sofia Kenin won her first Grand Slam in 2020 after defeating Garbiñe Muguruza in the Australian Open. This victory gave her the recognition of WTA Player of the Year.
At just 23-years-old, tennis experts root for Kenin due to her persistent determination and mental toughness. She currently has the world No. 4 ranking.
Li Na Made History For Her Home Country
One of the most famous former Chinese tennis players is Li Na. She became a world No. 2 and won two Grand Slam singles titles over the course of her career.
In 2011, Na earned worldwide recognition for being the first Asian Grand Slam singles champion in history. In 2019, she became the first Asian-born tennis player in the International Tennis Hall of Fame.
Mari Osaka Retired At 24
Mari Osaka may look familiar because she is actually the older sister of Naomi Osaka. She made her WTA Tour debut at 18.
She announced her retirement from tennis at 24-years-old: "I am retired from playing tennis. It was a journey which I didn't enjoy ultimately, but I'm grateful for all the memories and support I've gained and received over the years from the sport," she said.
Venus Williams Is A Force To Be Reckoned With
When it comes to tennis stars, many fans think of Venus and Serena Williams. Venus is a former world No. 1 in both singles and doubles.
She has 49 WTA singles titles, 22 doubles, and two mixed-doubles. Venus is also one of the only two active WTA players to have reached the finals of all four Grand Slams.
Serena Williams Keeps Shattering The Glass Ceiling
Serena Williams is the younger sister of Venus Williams and the two are regarded as being the greatest players in tennis history.
She has been ranked singles world No. 1 by the Women's Tennis Association for 319 weeks and has won 23 Grand Slam singles titles. Serena has earned almost $100 million in prize money alone.
What Maria Sharapova Did After Retiring
One of the top women's tennis players from Russia is Maria Sharapova. She is a former world No. 1 and competed on the WTA Tour for almost 20 years.
According to Forbes, she was the highest-paid female athlete in the world for 11 consecutive years. Sharapova retired from tennis in 2020 and is now part of a program aimed at mentoring women entrepreneurs.
Simona Halep Isn't Messing Around
Romanian-born tennis player Simona Halep was ranked the world No. 1 in singles in both 2017 and 2019. Her current awards include two Grand Slam singles titles in the French Open and Wimbledon.
She earned the WTA Most Popular Player of the Year award two years in a row and the WTA Fan Favorite Singles Player of the Year three years in a row.
Johanna Konta Made Tennis Look Easy
Johanna Konta hails from Sydney, Australia and has won four singles WTA Tour titles, four doubles, and 11 other singles titles over the course of her career.
She was a former world No. 4 and British No. 1 and is best-known for creating sharp angles with her swings and having an offensive baseline play.
Elena Rybakina Is Skilled In Many Sports
While Elena Rybakina is originally from Moscow, Russia, she switched gears to play for Kazakhstan in order to improve her ranking.
Currently, she's ranked No. 17 in the world and is known for her powerful serve and being six-feet-tall. Not only does she excel in tennis, but she's also skilled in ice skating and gymnastics.
Daria Kasatkina Comes From An Athletic Family
One of the most well-known Russian tennis players is Daria Kasatkina. At just 24-years-old, she has already won four WTA Tour titles in singles and one title in doubles.
Kasatkina got her start in tennis early at the age of six and was encouraged by her parents who are also athletes.
Sabine Lisicki Had To Stop Playing Because Of This
One of Sabine Lisicki's greatest accomplishments was winning the 2009 Family Circle Cup. A couple of years later, she made it to the semifinals of Wimbledon. She became the second female to do so as a wildcard.
Lisicki was best-known for her powerful backhand and forehand, but had to put her career on pause because of several injuries.
Ajla Tomljanovic Plays For Another Country
Tennis fans from Croatia have probably heard of Ajla Tomljanovic. She played for her home country from 2009 to 2018 and is now playing for Australia.
She reached her first Grand Slam quarterfinal in 2021 after her fourth round opponent, Emma Raducanu, retired in the second set. Tomljanovic has won four singles and three doubles titles on the ITF Circuit.
