History UsefulNotes / Tennis

* '''Novak Djokovic (Serbia)''', 2003–present: Current No. 1, holding that spot for an ATP record of 422 weeks, and also winner of 24 singles Grand Slams, the most for anyone in the Open Era. His 24 Slams include a record 10 Australian Open titles, and he's also the only men's player to win all four singles Slams at least three times in the Open Era. Also holds the ATP records for most year-end No. 1 rankings (8, most recently in 2023; equaling Steffi Graf on the women's side), most [=YECs=] (7), most Masters 1000 titles (40), most ranking points accumulated (16,950), and oldest player (male or female) to hold the No. 1 ranking. His 37 Slam finals are the most for any man or woman in the Open Era, and he has an Olympic bronze medal in singles. Was constantly overshadowed by Federer and Nadal early on in his career [[OvershadowedByAwesome despite being World No. 3]], until he went on a spectacular 43–0 match winning streak in 2011. Is also known as "[[FanNickname Djoker]]" for his sense of humor and impersonations of other players. In 2016, he became the first men's singles tennis player since Rod Laver in ''1969'' to win four consecutive Slams, also earning the career Slam in the process.

* '''Iga Świątek (Poland)''', 2016–present: Current No. 1, who has held the rank for 100 weeks, been year-end No. 1 twice (2022 and 2023), and also won 4 singles Grand Slams and one YEC. The daughter of a former Olympic rower, she went pro in 2016 and enjoyed major success on the second-level ITF Women's World Tennis Tour, winning all seven finals she reached, as well as winning the 2018 Wimbledon junior singles title. Świątek joined the WTA Tour in 2019 and had a steady rise, entering the top 50 that year before a foot injury temporarily derailed her career. She came back even stronger in 2020, winning that year's COVID-delayed French Open while unseeded, making her the first Pole[[note]]as in a player representing Poland; although 2018 Australian Open winner Caroline Wozniacki was born to two Polish parents, she represented Denmark, where she was born and raised[[/note]] and first player born in the 21st century[[note]]by the standard definition, which treats 2000 as part of the 20th century[[/note]] to win a singles Slam. Has recorded some impressive WTA statistics since then, such as becoming the first woman to win the first three WTA 1000 events of the year in 2022 and going on a 37-match winning streak that same year. Świątek is an all-court player known for a vicious forehand.

* '''Novak Djokovic (Serbia)''', 2003–present: Current No. 1, holding that spot for an ATP record of 420 weeks, and also winner of 24 singles Grand Slams, the most for anyone in the Open Era. His 24 Slams include a record 10 Australian Open titles, and he's also the only men's player to win all four singles Slams at least three times in the Open Era. Also holds the ATP records for most year-end No. 1 rankings (8, most recently in 2023; equaling Steffi Graf on the women's side), most [=YECs=] (7), most Masters 1000 titles (40), most ranking points accumulated (16,950), and oldest player (male or female) to hold the No. 1 ranking. His 37 Slam finals are the most for any man or woman in the Open Era, and he has an Olympic bronze medal in singles. Was constantly overshadowed by Federer and Nadal early on in his career [[OvershadowedByAwesome despite being World No. 3]], until he went on a spectacular 43–0 match winning streak in 2011. Is also known as "[[FanNickname Djoker]]" for his sense of humor and impersonations of other players. In 2016, he became the first men's singles tennis player since Rod Laver in ''1969'' to win four consecutive Slams, also earning the career Slam in the process.

* '''Iga Świątek (Poland)''', 2016–present: Current No. 1, who has held the rank for 98 weeks, been year-end No. 1 twice (2022 and 2023), and also won 4 singles Grand Slams and one YEC. The daughter of a former Olympic rower, she went pro in 2016 and enjoyed major success on the second-level ITF Women's World Tennis Tour, winning all seven finals she reached, as well as winning the 2018 Wimbledon junior singles title. Świątek joined the WTA Tour in 2019 and had a steady rise, entering the top 50 that year before a foot injury temporarily derailed her career. She came back even stronger in 2020, winning that year's COVID-delayed French Open while unseeded, making her the first Pole[[note]]as in a player representing Poland; although 2018 Australian Open winner Caroline Wozniacki was born to two Polish parents, she represented Denmark, where she was born and raised[[/note]] and first player born in the 21st century[[note]]by the standard definition, which treats 2000 as part of the 20th century[[/note]] to win a singles Slam. Has recorded some impressive WTA statistics since then, such as becoming the first woman to win the first three WTA 1000 events of the year in 2022 and going on a 37-match winning streak that same year. Świątek is an all-court player known for a vicious forehand.

* '''Garbiñe Muguruza (Spain)''', 2011–present: Has held No. 1 for four weeks. Has won 2 Grand Slams. She's achieved the impressive feat of being the only player to beat both Williams sisters in Slam finals -- Serena in the 2016 French Open final, and Venus in the 2017 Wimbledon final. Known for her powerful groundstrokes and high-risk attacking game.

* '''Roger Federer (Switzerland)''', 1998–2022: Held No. 1 for 310 weeks (holding the record for most weeks as ATP No. 1 until March 2021), with a record 237 of those weeks being consecutive, and was year-end No. 1 five times. He retired in third place in the Open Era ATP ranking of Grand Slams wins with 20 -- he has a record 8 Wimbledon titles, is the only player to win three of the Slams at least 5 times, and also the only player to win two of the Slams 5 consecutive times. Not to mention that he had the most [=YECs=] on the men's side before Djokovic passed him in 2023. Also has an Olympic gold medal in men's doubles with Stan Wawrinka and a silver in singles. Is often cited as the greatest tennis player of all time. If one were to look up ATP singles tennis records on [[Website/{{Wikipedia}} The Other Wiki]], [[TheAce one would find his name on 90%]]. During his 2012 Wimbledon run he [[SerialEscalation broke a record in every match he played]] after the second round. His return to the top of the rankings in February 2018 made him the oldest No. 1 at age 36, and is also the longest gap between No. 1 stints in ATP rankings history at 5 years and 106 days. Before Djokovic passed him in April 2024, he was the oldest man to have been No. 1 for now, last holding that ranking in June 2018, less than two months before turning 37. Age finally caught up to Federer in the early 2020s; a series of knee surgeries kept him away from competitive play after Wimbledon in 2021, and he called it a career after the 2022 Laver Cup.

* '''Novak Djokovic (Serbia)''', 2003–present: Current No. 1, holding that spot for an ATP record of 419 weeks, and also winner of 24 singles Grand Slams, the most for anyone in the Open Era. His 24 Slams include a record 10 Australian Open titles, and he's also the only men's player to win all four singles Slams at least three times in the Open Era. Also holds the ATP records for most year-end No. 1 rankings (8, most recently in 2023; equaling Steffi Graf on the women's side), most [=YECs=] (7), and most ranking points accumulated (16,950), and his 37 Slam finals are the most for any man or woman in the Open Era. Should he retain his No. 1 ranking at the next update on April 8, 2024, he will surpass Roger Federer as the oldest No. 1 in ATP ranking history. Not to mention that he has an Olympic bronze medal in singles. Was constantly overshadowed by Federer and Nadal early on in his career [[OvershadowedByAwesome despite being World No. 3]], until he went on a spectacular 43-0 match winning streak in 2011. Is also known as "[[FanNickname Djoker]]" for his sense of humor and impersonations of other players. In 2016, he became the first men's singles tennis player since Rod Laver in ''1969'' to win four consecutive Slams, also earning the career Slam in the process.

* '''Iga Świątek (Poland)''', 2016–present: Current No. 1, who has held the rank for 97 weeks, been year-end No. 1 twice (2022 and 2023), and also won 4 singles Grand Slams and one YEC. The daughter of a former Olympic rower, she went pro in 2016 and enjoyed major success on the second-level ITF Women's World Tennis Tour, winning all seven finals she reached, as well as winning the 2018 Wimbledon junior singles title. Świątek joined the WTA Tour in 2019 and had a steady rise, entering the top 50 that year before a foot injury temporarily derailed her career. She came back even stronger in 2020, winning that year's COVID-delayed French Open while unseeded, making her the first Pole[[note]]as in a player representing Poland; although 2018 Australian Open winner Caroline Wozniacki was born to two Polish parents, she represented Denmark, where she was born and raised[[/note]] and first player born in the 21st century[[note]]by the standard definition, which treats 2000 as part of the 20th century[[/note]] to win a singles Slam. Has recorded some impressive WTA statistics since then, such as becoming the first woman to win the first three WTA 1000 events of the year in 2022 and going on a 37-match winning streak that same year. Świątek is an all-court player known for a vicious forehand.

* '''Bob and Mike Bryan (USA)''', 1998–2020:[[note]]They actually made their ATP debut in 1995 as amateurs, but didn't go on tour until 1998 after a couple of years at Stanford.[[/note]] Also known as the '''Bryan Brothers''', the identical twins were the No. 1 men's doubles team for practically the whole period from 2005 to early 2016, and hold virtually every record in the book for men's doubles teams. Their most notable team records are Grand Slam titles (16), tournaments won (119), most weeks at No. 1 (438, with Mike having the individual record at 506), most consecutive weeks at No. 1 (139; Mike has the individual record at 163), and most year-end No. 1 rankings (10). They were named by ATP fans as their favorite team in the first 12 years that award was presented (2006–2017), and Mike got that honor with Jack Sock in 2018 while Bob was out injured. They have a career Golden Slam in doubles after winning Olympic gold in London in 2012, and their win at Wimbledon in 2013 made them the first men's doubles team in the Open era to hold all four Grand Slam titles at once. Finally, they are the only men's doubles team in history to win every major title in the sport--all four Grand Slam events, Olympic gold, every Masters 1000 event,[[note]]There have been 10 Masters 1000 events, but only nine in any given season. The former Hamburg event moved to Shanghai in 2009; the Bryans won in Hamburg in 2007 and Shanghai in 2014.[[/note]] the YEC, and Davis Cup. Even though age caught up with them near the end, they were still able to take down any other team on their day, as evidenced by two Masters 1000 wins in 2018 and one in 2019. Mike also won 2 more men's doubles Slams with the aforementioned Jack Sock. They announced in late 2019 that they would retire after the 2020 US Open, but with COVID-19 disrupting the 2020 season, they bowed out before that event started, having played (and won) their last tournament in March of that year.

* '''Roger Federer (Switzerland)''', 1998–2022: Held No. 1 for 310 weeks (holding the record for most weeks as ATP No. 1 until March 2021), with a record 237 of those weeks being consecutive, and was year-end No. 1 five times. He retired in third place in the Open Era ATP ranking of Grand Slams wins with 20 -- he has a record 8 Wimbledon titles, is the only player to win three of the Slams at least 5 times, and also the only player to win two of the Slams 5 consecutive times. Not to mention that he had the most [=YECs=] on the men's side before Djokovic passed him in 2023. Also has an Olympic gold medal in men's doubles with Stan Wawrinka and a silver in singles. Is often cited as the greatest tennis player of all time. If one were to look up ATP singles tennis records on [[Website/{{Wikipedia}} The Other Wiki]], [[TheAce one would find his name on 90%]]. During his 2012 Wimbledon run he [[SerialEscalation broke a record in every match he played]] after the second round. His return to the top of the rankings in February 2018 made him the oldest No. 1 at age 36, and is also the longest gap between No. 1 stints in ATP rankings history at 5 years and 106 days. He remains the oldest man to have been No. 1 for now, last holding that ranking in June 2018, less than two months before turning 37, though Djokovic is set to surpass him in the coming days. However, age finally caught up to Federer in the early 2020s; a series of knee surgeries kept him away from competitive play after Wimbledon in 2021, and he called it a career after the 2022 Laver Cup.

* '''Novak Djokovic (Serbia)''', 2003–present: Current No. 1, holding that spot for an ATP record of 417 weeks, and also winner of 24 singles Grand Slams, the most for anyone in the Open Era. His 24 Slams include a record 10 Australian Open titles, and he's also the only men's player to win all four singles Slams at least three times in the Open Era. Also holds the ATP records for most year-end No. 1 rankings (8, most recently in 2023; equaling Steffi Graf on the women's side), most [=YECs=] (7), and most ranking points accumulated (16,950), and his 37 Slam finals are the most for any man or woman in the Open Era. Not to mention that he has an Olympic bronze medal in singles. Was constantly overshadowed by Federer and Nadal early on in his career [[OvershadowedByAwesome despite being World No. 3]], until he went on a spectacular 43-0 match winning streak in 2011. Is also known as "[[FanNickname Djoker]]" for his sense of humor and impersonations of other players. In 2016, he became the first men's singles tennis player since Rod Laver in ''1969'' to win four consecutive Slams, also earning the career Slam in the process.

* '''Iga Świątek (Poland)''', 2016–present: Current No. 1, who has held the rank for 95 weeks, been year-end No. 1 twice (2022 and 2023), and also won 4 singles Grand Slams and one YEC. The daughter of a former Olympic rower, she went pro in 2016 and enjoyed major success on the second-level ITF Women's World Tennis Tour, winning all seven finals she reached, as well as winning the 2018 Wimbledon junior singles title. Świątek joined the WTA Tour in 2019 and had a steady rise, entering the top 50 that year before a foot injury temporarily derailed her career. She came back even stronger in 2020, winning that year's COVID-delayed French Open while unseeded, making her the first Pole[[note]]as in a player representing Poland; although 2018 Australian Open winner Caroline Wozniacki was born to two Polish parents, she represented Denmark, where she was born and raised[[/note]] and first player born in the 21st century[[note]]by the standard definition, which treats 2000 as part of the 20th century[[/note]] to win a singles Slam. Has recorded some impressive WTA statistics since then, such as becoming the first woman to win the first three WTA 1000 events of the year in 2022 and going on a 37-match winning streak that same year. Świątek is an all-court player known for a vicious forehand.

* '''Roger Federer (Switzerland)''', 1998–2022: Held No. 1 for 310 weeks (holding the record for most weeks as ATP No. 1 until March 2021), with a record 237 of those weeks being consecutive, and was year-end No. 1 five times. He retired in third place in the Open Era ATP ranking of Grand Slams wins with 20 -- he has a record 8 Wimbledon titles, is the only player to win three of the Slams at least 5 times, and also the only player to win two of the Slams 5 consecutive times. Not to mention that he had the most [=YECs=] on the men's side before Djokovic passed him in 2023. Also has an Olympic gold medal in men's doubles with Stan Wawrinka and a silver in singles. Is often cited as the greatest tennis player of all time. If one were to look up ATP singles tennis records on [[Website/{{Wikipedia}} The Other Wiki]], [[TheAce one would find his name on 90%]]. During his 2012 Wimbledon run he [[SerialEscalation broke a record in every match he played]] after the second round. His return to the top of the rankings in February 2018 made him the oldest No. 1 at age 36, and is also the longest gap between No. 1 stints in ATP rankings history at 5 years and 106 days. He remains the oldest man to have been No. 1, last holding that ranking in June 2018, less than two months before turning 37.[[note]]Djokovic would have to be No. 1 on or after April 6, 2024 to surpass this record.[[/note]] However, age finally caught up to Federer in the early 2020s; a series of knee surgeries kept him away from competitive play after Wimbledon in 2021, and he called it a career after the 2022 Laver Cup.

* '''US Open''' (late Aug - early Sept in New York City): The last Grand Slam of the season (but not the "true" end of the season), it has the highest attendance record of all Slams. Like the Australian Open, it's played on hard courts that fall somewhere in between the slowness of clay courts and the fastness of grass courts. Unlike the Australian Open, its main venue, Arthur Ashe Stadium, didn't have a roof until the 2016 Open, which meant that gusting winds and match-delaying rains frequently affected play. Before the Slams standardized on the AO's 10-point tiebreak in 2022, the US Open was the only Slam that decided a 6–6 final set by a tiebreak system instead of the "win by 2 games in the final set" rule, which (un)fortunately meant that there was no chance of its matches becoming a 3-day epic like the aforementioned Isner–Mahut match.

* '''Novak Djokovic (Serbia)''', 2003–present: Current No. 1, holding that spot for an ATP record of 414 weeks, and also winner of 24 singles Grand Slams, the most for anyone in the Open Era. His 24 Slams include a record 10 Australian Open titles, and he's also the only men's player to win all four singles Slams at least three times in the Open Era. Also holds the ATP records for most year-end No. 1 rankings (8, most recently in 2023; equaling Steffi Graf on the women's side), most [=YECs=] (7), and most ranking points accumulated (16,950), and his 37 Slam finals are the most for any man or woman in the Open Era. Not to mention that he has an Olympic bronze medal in singles. Was constantly overshadowed by Federer and Nadal early on in his career [[OvershadowedByAwesome despite being World No. 3]], until he went on a spectacular 43-0 match winning streak in 2011. Is also known as "[[FanNickname Djoker]]" for his sense of humor and impersonations of other players. In 2016, he became the first men's singles tennis player since Rod Laver in ''1969'' to win four consecutive Slams, also earning the career Slam in the process.

* '''Simona Halep (Romania)''', 2006–present: Has been No. 1 for 64 weeks so far and year-end No. 1 twice. Has won 2 singles Grand Slams. She's the first female Romanian player to ascend the top of the rankings, and holds the longest active streak in the top 10 which she first entered in 2014. Is one of three women[[note]]also Chris Evert and Jana Novotná[[/note]] to have gone 0-3 in Slam finals before going on to win their first one -- in Halep's case in particular, she finally won Roland Garros on her third try in 2018. Known for her aggressive counterpunching and being one of the fastest movers on tour.

* '''Iga Świątek (Poland)''', 2016–present: Current No. 1, who has held the rank for 92 weeks, been year-end No. 1 twice (2022 and 2023), and also won 4 singles Grand Slams and one YEC. The daughter of a former Olympic rower, she went pro in 2016 and enjoyed major success on the second-level ITF Women's World Tennis Tour, winning all seven finals she reached, as well as winning the 2018 Wimbledon junior singles title. Świątek joined the WTA Tour in 2019 and had a steady rise, entering the top 50 that year before a foot injury temporarily derailed her career. She came back even stronger in 2020, winning that year's COVID-delayed French Open while unseeded, making her the first Pole[[note]]as in a player representing Poland; although 2018 Australian Open winner Caroline Wozniacki was born to two Polish parents, she represented Denmark, where she was born and raised[[/note]] and first player born in the 21st century[[note]]by the standard definition, which treats 2000 as part of the 20th century[[/note]] to win a singles Slam. Has recorded some impressive WTA statistics since then, such as becoming the first woman to win the first three WTA 1000 events of the year in 2022 and going on a 37-match winning streak that same year. Świątek is an all-court player known for a vicious forehand.

* '''Australian Open''' (late Jan - early Feb in Melbourne): The first major event and Grand Slam of the tennis season. It takes place on hard courts, the most modern and common type of court surface[[note]]court surface types, as well as their bounce, speed, and paint job, are SeriousBusiness to tennis fans[[/note]]. Used to be the red-headed stepchild of the Slams with many pros skipping it due to its distant location, original December schedule and low prize money (hence why tennis stars like Björn Borg and John [=McEnroe=] do not have an AO win to their names - they didn't even bother attending it most of the time), until around the 1990s when it gained equal footing with the other Slams. Also known for its [[HeatWave swelteringly hot temperatures]] and its 2012 final which became the longest-ever Grand Slam final at nearly ''six hours''. Since 1988 its main court has been in a retractable roofed arena, mitigating the weather issues somewhat, as other roofs have been added as well. Began its unique final set tiebreak rule in 2019, where a 6-6 final set is decided by whoever reaches 10 points first.

* '''UsefulNotes/{{Wimbledon}}''' (early July in London): ''The'' Grand Slam that most people think of first when tennis is mentioned. It uses grass courts that favor attackers due to their speed and low bounce giving players less time to return big serves and volleys[[note]]balls hit before they bounce, typically close to the net[[/note]] hit by their opponents, although the courts have been slowed down recently to encourage longer rallies. [[StronglyWordedLetter At least twenty complaints are printed every year]] [[TheyChangedItNowItSucks about this "slowing-down".]] Also known for its all-white dress code and rain showers delaying play, although a roof installed in 2009 on Centre Court has mitigated the latter (with plans for additional roofed courts in the works). It was also known for no matches on the middle Sunday of the two-week tournament (except as makeup for rain delays), but that became a normal playing day in 2022. Roger Federer, who has won a men's record of 8 trophies here, has been dubbed Wimbledon's "Favorite Son". Due to the tournament's tendency to be plagued by incredibly long 5-set matches such as the infamous Isner–Mahut match, the final set tiebreak was introduced in 2019, where 12-12 final set is decided by a first-to-7-points tiebreak.
* '''US Open''' (late Aug - early Sept in New York City): The last Grand Slam of the season (but not the "true" end of the season), it has the highest attendance record of all Slams. Like the Australian Open, it's played on hard courts that fall somewhere in between the slowness of clay courts and the fastness of grass courts. Unlike the Australian Open, its main venue, Arthur Ashe Stadium, didn't have a roof until the 2016 Open, which meant that gusting winds and match-delaying rains frequently affected play. It is also the only Slam that decides a 6-6 final set by a tiebreak system instead of the "win by 2 games in the final set" rule, which (un)fortunately means that there's no chance of its matches becoming a 3-day epic like the aforementioned Isner–Mahut match.

* '''Novak Djokovic (Serbia)''', 2003–present: Current No. 1, holding that spot for an ATP record of 410 weeks, and also winner of 24 singles Grand Slams, the most for anyone in the Open Era. His 24 Slams include a record 10 Australian Open titles, and he's also the only men's player to win all four singles Slams at least three times in the Open Era. Also holds the ATP records for most year-end No. 1 rankings (8, most recently in 2023; equaling Steffi Graf on the women's side), most [=YECs=] (7), and most ranking points accumulated (16,950), and his 37 Slam finals are the most for any man or woman in the Open Era. Not to mention that he has an Olympic bronze medal in singles. Was constantly overshadowed by Federer and Nadal early on in his career [[OvershadowedByAwesome despite being World No. 3]], until he went on a spectacular 43-0 match winning streak in 2011. Is also known as "[[FanNickname Djoker]]" for his sense of humor and impersonations of other players. In 2016, he became the first men's singles tennis player since Rod Laver in ''1969'' to win four consecutive Slams, also earning the career Slam in the process.

* '''Iga Świątek (Poland)''', 2016–present: Current No. 1, who has held the rank for 88 weeks, been year-end No. 1 twice (2022 and 2023), and also won 4 singles Grand Slams and one YEC. The daughter of a former Olympic rower, she went pro in 2016 and enjoyed major success on the second-level ITF Women's World Tennis Tour, winning all seven finals she reached, as well as winning the 2018 Wimbledon junior singles title. Świątek joined the WTA Tour in 2019 and had a steady rise, entering the top 50 that year before a foot injury temporarily derailed her career. She came back even stronger in 2020, winning that year's COVID-delayed French Open while unseeded, making her the first Pole[[note]]as in a player representing Poland; although 2018 Australian Open winner Caroline Wozniacki was born to two Polish parents, she represented Denmark, where she was born and raised[[/note]] and first player born in the 21st century[[note]]by the standard definition, which treats 2000 as part of the 20th century[[/note]] to win a singles Slam. Has recorded some impressive WTA statistics since then, such as becoming the first woman to win the first three WTA 1000 events of the year in 2022 and going on a 37-match winning streak that same year. Świątek is an all-court player known for a vicious forehand.

* Stefanie Marie '''"Steffi" Graf (West Germany/Germany)''', 1982–1999: Held No. 1 for a WTA-record 377 weeks, with 186 of those weeks being consecutive (also a WTA record, shared with Serena Williams), and also year-end No. 1 eight times[[labelnote:*]]one shared with Monica Seles[[/labelnote]], a record equaled only by Djokovic on the men's side. Mr. Agassi's lovely wife, she won 22 Grand Slams and achieved a Calendar Year Golden Slam in 1988; i.e., doing the Career Golden Slam ''in a single year''. [[note]] A feat so remarkable that for ''33'' years she was the only player to achieve this. Not until [[https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.popsugar.com/amphtml/fitness/what-is-golden-slam-tennis-48421832 2021]] did two wheelchair tennis players, the Netherlands' Diede de Groot in women's singles and Australia's Dylan Alcott in quad singles, also accomplish this. Graf remains the only able-bodied player to complete a calendar Golden Slam.[[/note]][[labelnote:More]]In wheelchair tennis, players with lower-body disabilities such as de Groot compete in the "open" division, which is split into men's and women's draws. Those with disabilities in both the upper and lower body, such as Alcott, compete in the mixed quad division.[[/labelnote]] Graf also earned a non-calendar Grand Slam in 1993–94. Is also the only player, male or female, to win every Slam at least four times. Nicknamed "Fräulein Forehand" by fans due to the power and accuracy of her signature shot.

* '''Martina Navratilova (Czech Republic/USA)''', 1974–1994, 1999–2006: Held No. 1 for 332 weeks, with seven year-end No. 1s, five of them consecutively (a record on the women's side). Won 18 Grand Slam singles titles, 31 Grand Slam women's doubles titles (an all-time record), and 10 Grand Slam mixed doubles titles. Navratilova is also the first woman to have been No. 1 in singles and doubles at the same time, a feat she accomplished three times, and is the only woman to have been year-end No. 1 in both disciplines at the same time (1984 and 1986, one less than [=McEnroe=] on the men's side). Completed the Career Boxed Set and achieved the Triple Crown once. She is the only man or woman to have won 8 different tournaments at least 7 times and won a record 9 Wimbledon titles. Navratilova is also half of the only women's doubles team to achieve the calendar-year Grand Slam, winning all four titles in 1984 with Pam Shriver (which was part of a streak of ''8 straight'' Grand Slam titles). She also had an extraordinarily long-lived career, finishing in the top 10 singles rankings for 20 straight years and winning her last Grand Slam title (mixed doubles at the 2006 US Open) at ''49'' years of age. Originally from Czechoslovakia, she asked for political asylum in the US in 1975, was stripped of her Czech citizenship (later restored by the Czech Republic), and became a US citizen in 1981. She also came out as a lesbian in 1981 and has been an activist for gay rights, filing a lawsuit in 1992 against Amendment 2 (a Colorado ballot proposition designed to deny legal protections to gays and lesbians that was later overturned in ''Romer v. Evans'').

* '''Serena Williams (USA)''', 1995–2022: Held No. 1 for 319 weeks, also sharing the WTA record for most consecutive weeks in that spot (186) with Steffi Graf, and was year-end No. 1 five times. Won 23 singles Grand Slams, an Open Era record for women, as well as 13 doubles and 2 mixed doubles. She has achieved the Career Golden Slam in both singles and doubles--the only player to accomplish this (her doubles partner being her sister Venus), winning the Olympic gold in doubles 3 times. [[note]] More accurately , like Graf, the only ''able''-bodied player to accomplish this, as once again, as of 2021, [[https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grand_Slam_(tennis) Dylan Alcott, Diede de Groot, and Shingo Kunieda]] have achieved this feat in the wheelchair division. [[/note]] Serena is also the most recent of the six women to have been No. 1 in singles and doubles at the same time, achieving that feat in 2010. Is also the only female tennis player to earn over $40 million on the court,[[note]]Not counting endorsements; when those are included, Serena made over $45 million in 2021, and Naomi Osaka made more than $55 million in that year.[[/note]] the oldest female No. 1 tennis player, ''and'' the oldest tennis player overall to win a singles Slam. She also has the WTA record for longest time span between her first and most recent year-end No. 1 (2003–2015), a year longer than Rafa's on the men's side. On top of that, while Serena never won a calendar-year Grand Slam, she has held all four Grand Slam singles trophies at the same time twice. Needless to say, she is the other person frequently cited as the greatest tennis player of all time. Took a maternity leave between April 2017 and February 2018 -- turned out she won the 2017 Australian Open ''while {{pregnant|Badass}}''. Before the 2022 US Open, she announced that she would likely retire after that tournament. While she hadn't completely ruled out a brief return, that effectively came off the table in May 2023 when she announced her second pregnancy. Also part of the army of owners of the aforementioned Angel City FC; her husband, Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian, is one of that team's lead investors.

* '''Serena Williams (USA)''', 1995–2022: Held No. 1 for 319 weeks, also sharing the WTA record for most consecutive weeks in that spot (186) with Steffi Graf, and was year-end No. 1 five times. Won 23 singles Grand Slams, an Open Era record for women, as well as 13 doubles and 2 mixed doubles. She has achieved the Career Golden Slam in both singles and doubles--the only player to accomplish this (her doubles partner being her sister Venus), winning the Olympic gold in doubles 3 times. [[note]] More accurately , like Graf, the only ''able''-bodied player to accomplish this, as once again, [[https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grand_Slam_(tennis) Dylan Alcott, Diede de Groot, and Shingo Kunieda]] have achieved this feat in the wheelchair division. [[/note]] Serena is also the most recent of the six women to have been No. 1 in singles and doubles at the same time, achieving that feat in 2010. Is also the only female tennis player to earn over $40 million on the court,[[note]]Not counting endorsements; when those are included, Serena made over $45 million in 2021, and Naomi Osaka made more than $55 million in that year.[[/note]] the oldest female No. 1 tennis player, ''and'' the oldest tennis player overall to win a singles Slam. She also has the WTA record for longest time span between her first and most recent year-end No. 1 (2003–2015), a year longer than Rafa's on the men's side. On top of that, while Serena never won a calendar-year Grand Slam, she has held all four Grand Slam singles trophies at the same time twice. Needless to say, she is the other person frequently cited as the greatest tennis player of all time. Took a maternity leave between April 2017 and February 2018 -- turned out she won the 2017 Australian Open ''while {{pregnant|Badass}}''. Before the 2022 US Open, she announced that she would likely retire after that tournament. While she hadn't completely ruled out a brief return, that effectively came off the table in May 2023 when she announced her second pregnancy. Also part of the army of owners of the aforementioned Angel City FC; her husband, Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian, is one of that team's lead investors.