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With Serena Williams approaching the first true Grand Slam of her career, the question of whether she's the best women's tennis player ever is starting to arise.
At 33, Williams is becoming more and more dominant in a sport that is usually owned by players much younger. Williams currently holds the ranking of No. 1 in the world for the sixth time in her illustrious career. Her 21 Grand Slam single titles are second all-time in the Open-era behind Steffi Graf. Serena also has won four Olympic gold medals since 2000.
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In the Open era, Steffi Graf's 22 Grand Slam singles titles are the most by any player, male or female. Graf's 1998 season was magical. She was the first player to win all four Grand Slam titles and the Olympic gold medal in the same season.
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In her time, Martina Navratilova was simply a force on the court. She owns multiple Open-era records including: most singles (167) and doubles (177) titles in the Open era, the longest-win streak (74 matches), and she's the only player to have not lost a set in six major tournaments. She was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 2000.
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Billie Jean King played tennis professionally in four decades, winning a total of 39 career Grand Slam titles. King, a supporter for sexual equality, famously beat Bobby Riggs in the Battle of the Sexes tennis match in 1973. King was a member of the 1987 International Tennis Hall of Fame class.
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During her professional career, Chris Evert appeared in a record 34 Grand Slam singles finals, winning 18 times. Evert won nearly 90 percent of her singles matches, while never losing in the first or second round of a major. She was the most dominant on clay, with a career 382-22 record. Even Rafael Nadal isn't that good on clay.
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Maria Sharapova has been overshadowed by Serena Williams throughout her career, but the Russian tennis star has proven her skill since turning pro in 2001. Sharapova is just one of 10 women to win a career Grand Slam and an Olympic medal in her career, after winning silver at the 2012 Summer Olympics. Despite many injuries, Sharapova has won a singles title every year since 2003.
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Throughout her career, Margaret Court won a ridiculous 192 singles titles. The aptly-named Court became the first Open-era women's tennis player to complete the singles Grand Slam. With an additional 19 women's doubles and 21 mixed-doubles titles, Court won a record 64 majors in her career.
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For a time, there was debate about which Williams sister was better. That's no longer a talking point, but Venus Williams is still one of the best women's players to ever take the court. Venus has won seven Grand Slam titles, including five Wimbledon titles. In 2002, Venus helped pave the way for her sister by becoming the first African-American woman to be ranked No. 1 in the Open era.
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The beginning of Monica Seles's professional tennis career was one of legend. In 1990 at 16, Seles became the youngest player to ever win the French Open. By her 20th birthday, Seles already had won eight Grand Slam titles. Unfortunately, after an on-court attack in 1993, Seles took two years off and never regained her elite form.
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Three months before turning sweet 16, Martina Hingis won Wimbledon's doubles titles to become the youngest Grand Slam champion ever. A year later, Hingis became the youngest World No. 1 women's tennis player ever. She dominated the sport until 2002 before ankle injuries derailed her career. Hingis was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 2013.
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Before an elbow injury ended her career, Justine Henin was the best player next to Serena Williams throughout the 2000s. Henin won seven Grand Slam titles, and is one of just two players to hold a winning record over Serena in majors (4-3). Tennis legend John McEnroe credits Henin's single-handed backhand as the best he's seen.
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Despite retiring before turning 20, Maureen Connolly was the first women to ever win the true Grand Slam in a single season. During her 1953 Grand Slam season, Connolly lost just one set in the four major tournaments. Before retiring, Connolly won nine consecutive Grand Slam titles.
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During the 1970s, there may not have been a more dominant player than Evonne Goolagong Cawley. In the 70s, Cawley played in 17 Grand Slam singles finals, winning seven of them. By the end of her career, Cawley won a total of 134 tennis matches, including four consecutive Australian Open titles from 1974-1977.
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Helen Wills helped popularize women's tennis while playing in the 1920s. On the court, Wills was the top-ranked women's player for nine seasons, winning 31 Grand Slam tournament titles. Like Billie Jean King, Wills played, and defeated, a male player in an exhibition match.
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Suzanne Lenglen is credited with being one of the first women's tennis celebrities. Dubbed "La Divine" by the French media, Lenglen dominated against lesser competition. She won 181 consecutive matches and lost just seven matches in her professional career.
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