5 Grand Slam singles champions who also won mixed doubles Majors ft. Martina Hingis, Serena Williams
Be it the Big Three or the current tennis stars like Iga Swiatek and Carlos Alcaraz, not all Grand Slam singles champions participate in the doubles category of tournaments, let alone win titles in the same. Then there are also those who reign over the world of doubles but refrain from entering the singles court.
However, there are a few Grand Slam champions who have achieved success in not only the women's and men's singles categories but also have a range of Major mixed doubles titles to their name.
From Billie Jean King and Martina Navratilova to the Williams sisters, let's take a look at some well-known Grand Slam singles champions who have also won mixed doubles majors.
#5 Victoria Azarenka
Belarusian tennis player and former World No. 1 Victoria Azarenka won the Australian Open women's singles titles for two consecutive years in 2012 and 2013. Additionally, she has been a women's doubles finalist on four other occasions across three different Grand Slams (Australian Open, French Open and US Open).
Moreover, Azarenka also has two major mixed doubles titles to her name - the 2008 French Open, where she partnered with American tennis player Bob Bryan, and the 2007 US Open, where she was paired with compatriot Max Mirnyi. The Belarusian duo also got together for the 2012 Summer Olympics and won a gold medal for their country in the mixed doubles category.
#4 Venus Williams
American professional tennis player and the eldest of the William sisters, Venus Williams has won seven major singles titles and 14 women's doubles titles. She has also won two mixed doubles titles, the Australian Open and French Open in 1998, both with compatriot Justin Gimelstob.
She also won a silver medal along with Rajeev Ram at the 2016 Rio Olympics. Additionally, she reached the Wimbledon mixed doubles finals along with Bob Bryan in 2006 before losing to Andy Ram and Vera Zvonareva. The American is one of the few tennis players who have secured a World No. 1 ranking in both singles and doubles.
#3 Serena Williams
The legendary Serena Williams has won 23 major singles titles, the second most in the Open Era by any tennis player. Additionally, she has won 14 women's Grand Slam doubles titles, two mixed doubles titles, and four Olympic golds. Williams is the only player to have accomplished a career Golden Slam in both singles and doubles.
While the American's achievements, along with the records she has created, occupy a significant place in the history of the sport, if one looks at the number of mixed doubles majors won by her, the number (2) seems quite small.
The only two mixed doubles titles that Williams has to her name were won quite early on in her career, back in 1998 when she won the Wimbledon and the US Open along with Max Mirnyi. While she did participate in a few mixed doubles events afterwards, her performance in the singles category or women's doubles, while partnering with Venus Williams, outshone her mixed doubles accomplishments.
#2 Martina Hingis
The former Swiss player Martina Hingis was the first tennis player from her country (even before Roger Federer) to secure a World No. 1 ranking in the sport and has held the said position simultaneously in both singles and doubles.
Hingis won five major singles titles, 13 major women's doubles titles, and seven mixed doubles titles. Though Hingis was denied a French Open trophy in the singles division, the former World No. 1 has won all four Grand Slams at various stages of her career in the women's and mixed doubles categories.
Four out of her seven mixed doubles victories, namely the Australian Open, Wimbledon and US Open in 2015, and the 2016 French Open, were secured alongside Indian tennis legend Leander Paes. Additionally, for her first mixed doubles Grand Slam title - the Australian Open in 2006, she partnered with Paes' compatriot, Mahesh Bhupathi. The last two victories of her career, the 2017 Wimbledon and 2017 US Open, were secured along with Britain's Jamie Murray.
#1 Martina Navratilova
Martina Navratilova, the former Czech-American player, has won a combined total of 59 major titles across women's singles, women's doubles, and mixed doubles categories, the most to have been won by any tennis player in the Open Era. Additionally, she is also the only tennis player to have held the World No. 1 ranking in both singles and doubles for more than 200 weeks each.
In addition to 18 Grand Slam singles titles and 31 major women's doubles titles, Navratilova has 10 mixed doubles titles to her name across all four Grand Slams. One of the greatest tennis players of all time, she not only owns the record for the most Wimbledon singles titles with nine, six of them coming from back-to-back wins, but she also won four of her ten mixed doubles titles in London.
In this regard, Martina Navratilova is part of an elite group alongside Margaret Court and Doris Hart. These three tennis legends are the only ones to have achieved the prestigious "Career Grand Slam" in singles, doubles, and mixed doubles.