Ranking the top 10 US Open women's singles champions of the Open era ft. Steffi Graf, Serena Williams
Virginia Wade made history for Britain by winning the first-ever US Open tournament to be held in the Open era. British fans later endured a 53-year long wait before Emma Raducanu emulated the feat last year.
The women's singles competition at the US Open has been dominated by some big names over the years, while a few like Hana Mandlikova, Gabriela Sabatini, Martina Hingis, and Svetlana Kuznetsova ended up as single-time winners of the coveted Grand Slam.
Since 2015, there has been a discernible shift in the trend, with only Naomi Osaka managing to win the tournament twice, while Flavia Pennetta, Angelique Kerber, Sloane Stephens, and Bianca Andreescu added their names to the elite list of US Open champions.
Let's take a look at 10 of the greatest US Open champions in the women's competition from the Open era.
#10. Justine Henin
Justine Henin is a two-time US Open champion, having won the title in 2003 and 2007.
Henin and Kim Clijsters contested a historic all-Belgian US Open final in 2003 after both the Williams sisters had withdrawn from the tournament. Henin lost only one set en route to the final and won her first-ever Grand Slam title by getting past her compatriot in straight sets.
In 2007, the Belgian bagled each of her opponents in at least one set from the first to the fourth rounds, before accounting for Serena Williams and Venus Williams in the quarterfinals and semifinals respectively. The dominant run continued right up until the title round when Henin breezed past Svetlana Kuznetsova.
#9. Hana Mandlikova
Two-time Wimbledon finalist Hana Mandlikova won the Australian Open twice and Roland Garros once.
At the 1985 US Open, she overcame two tennis greats of her time - Chris Evert and Martina Navratilova - in the semifinals and finals respectively to register her first and only title win at Flushing Meadows.
Hana Mandlikova won the 1985 US Open the hard way: beating Chrissie & Martina in back-to-back three-set matches!
Happy birthday, Hana! 🥳
https://t.co/pewO6I07Os
The Czechoslovakian, who later obtained Australian citizenship, became the first woman since Tracy Austin in 1979 to have beaten both Evert and Navratilova in the same tournament.
#8. Tracy Austin
Tracy Austin stormed onto the world tennis scene as a teenager and became the youngest-ever player to win the US Open title at 16.
A win over Chris Evert - who won four consecutive US Open titles from 1975 to 1978 - catapulted the youngster to instant fame even as she defeated Martina Navratilova in the semifinals, with both wins coming in straight sets.
Won titles on every surface
Stopped four-time reigning champ Chris Evert
𝗧𝗿𝗮𝗶𝗹𝗯𝗹𝗮𝘇𝗲𝗿𝘀: Tracy Austin — the US Open's youngest ever champion 🎾
🤯 Played pro matches at just 14
🏆 Won titles on every surface
🇺🇸 Stopped four-time reigning champ Chris Evert
Read her story here 🔽
#USOpen
Austin won her second US Open title in 1981 getting past Navratilova in the finals but never reached a Grand Slam final ever again.
#7. Kim Clijsters
After losing the 2003 final to Justine Henin, Kim Clijsters was back in the title round in 2005. Clijsters defeated Mary Pierce, Venus Williams and Maria Sharapova en route to the final, where she beat Mary Pierce in straight sets.
The Belgian had a special affinity for the US Open as she came out of retirement to defeat Caroline Wozniacki in the 2009 final, before winning her third title a year later, this time at the expense of Vera Zvonareva.
The only other Grand Slam title that Clijsters won was the 2011 Australian Open. She retired for a second time in 2012 before making another comeback a few years ago. She hung up her racquet for good earlier this year after a COVID-curtailed comeback in 2020.
#6. Margaret Court
Although Margaret Court held sway in Melbourne with a staggering 11 Australian Open titles, the tennis legend from New South Wales also won five titles in New York, including three in the Open era.
After reigning supreme in 1962 and 1965, Court defeated Nancy Richie and Rosemary Casals to win two successive Open-era titles in 1969 and 1970.
The Australian then won her record 24th Grand Slam title by winning the New York Major in 1973, ending with a 52-6 win-loss record at the US Open. Her record of 24 Grand Slam wins has yet to be surpassed.
#5. Billie Jean King
Billie Jean King won the tournament a year before the Open era began and lost to Virginia Wade in the 1968 final.
She won two consecutive titles in 1971 and 1972 after which she famously announced that she would not participate in the US Open the following year because she was paid $15,000 less than Ilie Nastase, who won the men's competition.
On September 9, 1972, Billie Jean King won her third US Open Singles title, defeating Kerry Melville in straight sets. #USOpen #BillieJeanKing https://t.co/uBBmaQRx9F
The organizers finally relented and the US Open became the first Grand Slam to offer equal prize money to participants of both genders since 1973. King last won the US Open in 1974 when she beat Evonne Goolagong in the title clash.
#4. Martina Navratilova
Martina Navratilova beat six-time US Open champion and arch-rival Chris Evert in the 1983 US Open final to register her first win of the competition and repeated the feat in 1984.
After losing to Hana Mandlikova in the 1985 final, Navratilova stormed back to register two big wins against Helena Sukova and Steffi Graf in the finals of 1986 and 1987 respectively.
The Czechoslovakian great was unable to increase her US Open tally despite reaching the finals in 1989 and 1991, losing to Graf and Monica Seles respectively.
#3. Chris Evert
Chris Evert won both the French Open and Wimbledon Championships in 1974, before winning her first US Open title by beating Evonne Goolagong in 1975.
Goolagong, who reached four successive finals in New York between 1973 and 1976, lost to Evert yet again a year later. The American beat Wendy Turnbull and Pam Shriver in the 1977 and 1978 finals, respectively, to win four titles on the trot in New York.
After being upset by young Tracy Austin in 1979, Evert beat Hana Mandlikova in the 1980 final to win her fifth New York Major crown. She defeated Mandlikova once again in 1982 to win her sixth and last title in New York.
She couldn't add to her tally despite reaching the finals in 1982 and 1983, losing to Martina Navratilova on both occasions.
#2. Steffi Graf
Steffi Graf won her first US Open title in 1988 when she beat first-time finalist Gabriela Sabatini. A year later, Martina Navratilova was all set to wrap up the final, leading 6-3, 4-2 before a phenomenal comeback from Graf saw her win a second US Open title. She had earlier lost to Navratilova in the 1987 final.
On this day in 1987, Steffi Graf became No. 1 for the first time. She continued to hold that spot for a record-breaking 377 total weeks 👑 https://t.co/TguOlZHiMr
She won another title in 1993, beating Helena Sukova in the championship match. After losing to Arantxa Sanchez-Vicario in the 1994 title clash, Graf went on to win two successive trophies in 1995 and 1996, beating Monica Seles in both finals.
#1. Serena Williams
Serena Williams won her first US Open title in 1999 when she was just 17 years old, defeating Martina Hingis to register her first-ever Grand Slam win.
After losing to sister Venus Williams in the 2001 US Open final, the American got the better of her older sister to win her second home Major title in 2002. She won her third title in 2008, beating Jelena Jankovic in the title clash.
After losing the 2011 final to Samantha Stosur, the 40-year-old won three successive titles in New York, getting past Victoria Azarenka in 2012 and 2013 before defeating Caroline Wozniacki in 2014.