1 Record each of Steffi Graf, Martina Navratilova, Chris Evert, Monica Seles and Martina Hingis that will never be broken

There have been several great female tennis players over the years, whose skills and performance have delighted us. The WTA Tour is no less competitive than the ATP. Moreover, there is some amount of grace and finesse associated with women’s tennis that is sometimes missing in the men’s game.

In this article, we will take a look at a record of each of the five great champions in the women’s game – Steffi Graf, Martina Navratilova, Chris Evert, Monica Seles, and Martina Hingis – that will probably never be broken:

#5. Martina Hingis – the youngest Grand Slam winner in the Open Era
Martina Hingis became the youngest-ever Grand Slam champion at the age of 16 years and 117 days by winning the Australian Open title in 1997. She defeated Mary Pierce of France in the final.
Hingis also became the world No. 1 that year and later went on to win four more Grand Slam singles titles. She was also a top doubles player. Players like Serena Williams and Maria Sharapova have come close to beating Hingis’ record since, but could not quite do it.

The Swiss champion’s record looks like it might stand the test of time.

#4. Monica Seles – Entering the final of every tournament played in a calendar year (minimum 10 tournaments entered):
Seles’ career is quite possibly the biggest what-if in women’s tennis. Before getting stabbed by a Steffi Graf fan in 1993 at the age of 19, she had a fantastic record for a couple of years.

She was in frightening form in 1991 in particular, participating in 16 tournaments that year and winning 10 of them, including three Grand Slams (Australian Open, French Open, and US Open).

Moreover, Seles reached the final in each of the remaining six tournaments she could not win. She also became the World No. 1 in 1991 and ended the year as the topmost player in the world, replacing Graf.

Monica Seles’ dominantly consistent campaign would be a difficult feat to replicate anytime soon.

#3. Chris Evert – Highest win percentage on clay courts:
Evert was a baseliner at a time when playing serve-and-volley was quite fashionable. She is also the most dominant player ever on clay courts. She ended her career with an otherworldly 382-22 win-loss record on clay, yet to be bettered by any player.

Evert’s win percentage on clay at 94.55% is even better than Rafael Nadal’s 91.3% on the surface. However, the Spaniard has played in a considerably more number of matches.

Evert also won seven French Open titles – the highest by a woman and only bettered by Nadal (14) among men. We may not see such a dominant champion on a single surface in the future.

#2. Martina Navratilova – The most number of career titles:
In a career spanning over two decades, Navratilova won a staggering 354 career titles, including 59 Grand Slam titles overall. She won 167 singles, 177 doubles, and 10 mixed doubles titles in a glittering career matched by nobody else.

Evert, her contemporary, friend and great rival, came close with 157 career singles titles but was not nearly as prolific as a doubles player. John McEnroe’s record of 156 titles in all – the highest by a men’s player to date, also falls short of Navratilova’s record.

Her achievement of 354 career titles, which might not be equaled anytime soon, serves to exemplify her fitness and longevity.

#1. Steffi Graf – Winning the Golden Slam in a single calendar year:
There is nothing more coveted and elusive in tennis than winning the Golden Slam, that is, winning all four Grand Slams and the Olympic gold in a calendar year. She managed to achieve this feat at the age of 19.

Graf achieved the seemingly impossible in 1988. Since then, many have come close, but could not quite manage it. Although Serena Williams has won a career Golden Slam, she could not do so in a single year.

Graf was in imperious form that year and won the French Open title by serving a double bagel to Natasha Zvereva in the final, which remains another unmatched record.

We are unlikely to see another player achieving the elusive Golden Slam in a single year.