One of tennis’ most prestigious tournaments is nearly here once again, with Wimbledon set to begin June 27.
With the recent news of Serena Williams receiving a wild-card invitation to compete at the tournament, all eyes will once again be on the All-England Club for the fortnight.
Though Williams will be looking to add to her trophy case with another Wimbledon win, she isn’t the only one with multiple titles throughout the history of the prestigious tournament.
Following is a list of all the women who have won the single’s title multiple times since the open era began in 1968.
Martina Navratilova
Widely considered one of the greatest of all, Navratilova takes the top spot for Wimbledon titles, winning nine times. Navratilova won her first title in 1978, defeating Chris Evert in three sets. The following year, Navratilova defended her title, conquering Evert once again in straight sets. Five of Navratilova’s Wimbledon titles came over Evert, including in ‘82, when Navratilova also won the U.S. Open. She then went on a streak at Wimbledon, winning the tournament in ‘83, ‘84, ‘85, ‘86 and ‘87, before her final win on the grass courts came in 1990.
Steffi Graf
Graf ended Navratilova’s run and began hers, with the first title of seven in 1988. That same year, Graf became the first player to win a calendar Golden Grand Slam, winning all four majors as well as Gold at the Olympics. Graf returned to England the following year on a hot streak, defending her Wimbledon title in ‘89, defeating Navratilova for the second year in a row. Although Graf missed out on the title in ‘90, she bounced back quickly, going on to win at Wimbledon from ‘91-’93, almost winning the Grand Slam once more in 1993 as well. Graf won two more times in ‘95 and ‘96 before she decided to retire in ‘99 due to injuries.
Serena Williams
Serena Williams will be seeking her eighth Wimbledon title when she makes her return to the tournament this year. Williams’ Wimbledon wins span 15 years, with her first win coming in 2002 over sister and doubles partner Venus. The pair met again in the finals in ‘03, with Serena coming out victorious to defend her title. Serena didn’t win again in England until 2009, winning back-to-back once again as she won in 2010 as well. Serena Williams’ final three wins came in ‘12, ‘15 and ‘16. A win at Wimbledon this year would tie Margaret Court’s Grand Slam record at 24.
Venus Williams
Of course, Serena can’t be mentioned without Venus Williams being talked about as well, as the two were dynamic both individually and together. Venus’ first win at SW19 came in 2000, and she went on to win the U.S. Open and two gold medals at the Olympics that same year. Venus Williams’ defended her Wimbledon title in 2001 before falling to Serena the following two years. Venus’ next win came in 2005, when she defeated Lindsey Davenport, who she had her first Wimbledon win against, once more. Venus went back-to-back at Wimbledon in 2007 and ‘08 for her final two wins at the tournament.
Billie Jean King
One who helped to elevate women’s professional tennis, King has six Wimbledon single’s titles, including titles before the open era. Although she was one of the greatest doubles players, dominating with 14 titles at Wimbledon, King was a stalwart in single’s as well, with her first win at Wimbledon coming in 1966. She then won the tournament two more years in a row, winning in ‘67 and ‘68, when the open era officially began. King won the prestigious tournament back-to-back once more in ‘72 and ‘73, winning the U.S. and French Open in ‘72 as well. In ‘73, King dominated Bobby Riggs in the “Battle of the Sexes” tennis match, helping to forge a way for women’s equality in tennis. King’s final win at Wimbledon came in 1975.
Chris Evert
Nicknamed “Ice Maiden” due to her cool demeanor and focus on the court, Evert won her first Wimbledon title two years after turning pro at 18. With her first Wimbledon win among them, Evert went on a 55-match win streak in 1974, also claiming the French Open title that year. Evert won again in ‘76, defeating Evonne Goolagong Cawley for the title and also becoming the first female player to reach $1 million in career prize money. Her final win at SW19 came in 1981.
Evonne Goolagong Cawley and Petra Kvitova
There are two players who have taken the title home twice. Goolagong won the single’s title in 1971 and 1980 while Kvitova’s Wimbledon wins came in 2011 and 2014.
So will Serena Williams tie Court’s Grand Slam record with another Wimbledon win? Or maybe Kvitova will pick up a third win in England. Take your pick and place your bet on the winner at BetUS.com.
