Chris Evert enjoyed a legendary tennis career, reaching world number one and winning 18 Grand Slam titles.
The American WTA star won her first Major title at the French Open in 1974, an event she dominated throughout her career.
Between 1974 and 1986, Evert won Roland Garros seven times, the most of any player in the women’s game.
Completing the Career Grand Slam, she also won titles at the Australian Open (2), Wimbledon (3), and the US Open (6).
Having enjoyed such a legendary career, Evert has more than earned herself a place in conversations discussing the greatest players of all time.
Joining in those discussions herself, Evert has now ranked the top five women’s players in tennis history.
Chris Evert says Serena Williams is the ‘best tennis player’ of all time
Speaking to TNT Sports during their coverage of the 2025 French Open, Evert picked her top five WTA players of all time.
“Number five would be Billie Jean King. Versatility, serving, and volleying. Could hit ground strokes, she had an all-court game as well, and had a lot of titles,” she said.
“Number four would be Margaret Court. She’s won more Majors than anyone, and she just had, especially on grass had a very dynamically strong game.
“Number three, Steffi Graf, she won the Olympics and she won all the Majors in one year.
“Number two would be Martina Navratilova because she’s won more tournaments than any woman player, and she also was winning singles, doubles, and mixed doubles, so she had all the shots in the book.”
Evert then made her pick for the greatest of all time in the women’s game.
“The number one greatest player of all time to me would be Serena Williams because I think she is the best tennis player and the best athlete that I have seen in the game of tennis, so those are my five,” she said.
Chris Evert’s top five WTA players of all time
- 1. Serena Williams
- 2. Martina Navratilova
- 3. Steffi Graf
- 4. Margaret Court
- 5. Billie Jean King
It’s certainly an interesting list, but do the numbers back up Evert’s picks?
Comparing Serena Williams, Steffi Graf, and Martina Navratilova’s tennis achievements
All three players achieved great things in the sport, but do the numbers point towards one player ranking above the rest?
Serena Williams’ tennis achievements
- Singles Grand Slam titles – 23
- Total Grand Slam titles – 39
- Weeks at number one (singles) – 319
- WTA titles (singles) – 73
- WTA Finals titles (singles) – 5
Steffi Graf’s tennis achievements
- Singles Grand Slam titles – 22
- Total Grand Slam titles – 23
- Weeks at number one (singles) – 377
- WTA titles (singles) – 107
- WTA Finals titles (singles) – 5
Martina Navratilova’s tennis achievements
- Singles Grand Slam titles – 18
- Total Grand Slam titles – 59
- Weeks at number one (singles) – 332
- WTA titles (singles) – 167
- WTA Finals titles (singles) – 8
Serena Williams leads the trio in singles Grand Slam wins, a metric widely considered to be the most important in the G.O.A.T. (Greatest of All Time) debate.
Winning 23 to Steffi Graf’s 22 and Martina Navratilova’s 18, Williams sits out in front, although that doesn’t necessarily tell the full story.
As Evert mentioned, Navratilova was as prolific in doubles as she was in singles, racking up a record 59 Grand Slams across singles, doubles, and mixed doubles.
She also won a mouth-watering 167 WTA singles titles, a tally that may well never be topped.
Graf is also worth a mention, trailing Williams by just the one Major, but holding a record of her own which the American couldn’t top.
The German was ranked number one in the world for 377 total weeks, more than Navratilova (332) and Williams (319).
It’s tough to call which of the trio truly is the ‘greatest of all time’, as all three players have valid claims to the title.
Perhaps what we should be asking ourselves is whether any active players can work themselves into the conversation.
Can the likes of Coco Gauff, Aryna Sabalenka, or Iga Swiatek come close to the numbers Williams, Navratilova, and Graf put up during their careers?
Only time will tell if they can, but it will certainly be something to look out for.
