Wimbledon is the oldest Grand Slam in tennis and the women’s singles tournament started in 1884. 1968 was the first edition of the grass-court Major during the Open Era and since then, several women have impressed at the tournament. A total of 25 players have won the women’s singles title at Wimbledon during the Open Era but only four have done so five or more times.
4 Women Who Have Won 5 or More Singles Titles at Wimbledon
#1. Venus Williams (5 Titles)
Venus Williams built her own Wimbledon legacy with five singles titles in 2000, 2001, 2005, 2007, and 2008.
The American’s first victory at the grass-court Major came in 2000, when she beat compatriot Lindsay Davenport 6-3, 7-6(3) in the final. She successfully defended her title by beating a teenage Justine Henin 6-1, 3-6, 6-0 in the final.
Venus Williams lost to her sister Serena in the 2002 and 2003 title clashes, and her third victory at the grass-court Major came in 2005, when she edged out Lindsay Davenport 4-6, 7-6(4), 9-7 in the longest Wimbledon women’s final ever, that lasted two hours and 45 minutes.
The American’s fourth title came in 2007 when she beat Marion Bartoli 6-4, 6-1 in the championship match. Ranked 31st at the time, Venus Williams was the lowest-ranked Wimbledon champion at the time and held that record till 2023.
Her fifth and last title at the grass-court Major was in 2008, when she beat sister Serena Williams 7-5, 6-4.
#2. Steffi Graf (7 Titles)
22-time Grand Slam winner Steffi Graf is one of the greatest players in tennis history and tasted more success at Wimbledon than at any other Major. The German’s first victory at the grass-court tournament came in 1988 and she successfully defended her title in 1989, defeating Martina Navratilova in the final on both occasions.
Graf lost in the semifinals at Wimbledon 1990 but won the next three editions, beating Gabriela Sabatini, Monica Seles, and Jana Novotna in the respective finals. She suffered a surprise opening-round defeat in 1994 before winning the next two editions of the Grand Slam in 1995 and 1996, beating Arantxa Sanchez Vicario in both finals.
#3. Serena Williams (7 Titles)
Serena Williams is a tennis icon and seven of her 23 Grand Slam singles titles came at Wimbledon. Her first two victories at SW 19 came in 2002 and 2003, when she beat sister Venus Williams in both finals.
The American’s next two titles at the grass-court Major also came in successive years (2009, 2010). She won her fifth Wimbledon title in 2012 after a 6-1, 5-7, 6-2 win over Agnieszka Radwanska in the final. Williams’ sixth victory at the Major came in 2015 following a 6-4, 6-4 triumph over Garbiñe Muguruza in the final, and she successfully defended her title after beating Angelique Kerber 7-5, 6-3 in the championship match.
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#4. Martina Navratilova (9 titles)
Navratilova dominated Wimbledon like no other player between 1978 and 1990, and has won more singles titles than anyone, male or female, at the grass-court Major.
The Czech-American, who was known for her serve-and-volley style, won her maiden title at SW 19 in 1978 after edging out her rival Chris Evert 2-6, 6-4, 7-5 in the final. She successfully defended her title in 1979 after a 6-4, 6-4 win over Evert.
Navratilova then endured successive semifinal exits in 1980 and 1981 before winning six consecutive titles from 1982-1987, three of them without dropping a single set. The Czech-American lost to Steffi Graf in the following two finals before winning her ninth title in 1990 after defeating Zina Garrison in the championship match.
