Who Has the Most Grand Slams in Women’s Tennis? In women’s singles, Margaret Court holds the all-time record with 24 Grand Slam titles, followed closely by Serena Williams (23) and Steffi Graf (22). But the story behind those numbers is far more interesting than a simple leaderboard. Different eras, different surfaces, and very different pressures have shaped the women who dominate this list.
What counts as a Grand Slam in women’s tennis?
When fans ask “Who has the most Grand Slams in women’s tennis?” they almost always mean singles titles at the four major tournaments:
- Australian Open (hard court)
- French Open / Roland Garros (clay)
- Wimbledon (grass)
- US Open (hard court)
Winning just one of these is career-defining. Winning many, across different surfaces and eras, is how legends are made.
Top women by Grand Slam titles
Here are the all-time leaders in women’s singles majors (titles only):
| Rank | Player | Total | Australian Open | French Open | Wimbledon | US Open |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Margaret Court | 24 | 11 | 5 | 3 | 5 |
| 2 | Serena Williams | 23 | 7 | 3 | 7 | 6 |
| 3 | Steffi Graf | 22 | 4 | 6 | 7 | 5 |
| 4 | Helen Wills Moody | 19 | 0 | 4 | 8 | 7 |
| 5 | Chris Evert | 18 | 2 | 7 | 3 | 6 |
| 5 (tie) | Martina Navratilova | 18 | 3 | 2 | 9 | 4 |
Data is compiled from official Grand Slam records and historical leaderboards [1].
Margaret Court vs Serena Williams vs Steffi Graf
Margaret Court – the raw record
Margaret Court’s 24 singles majors came between 1960 and 1973, spanning both the amateur era and the Open Era. She completely dominated the Australian Open and racked up titles across all four majors.
Critics sometimes point out that the Australian Open draws in her era weren’t as deep as today’s fields, and travel logistics meant some top players skipped events. Still, winning 24 slams—plus an enormous haul in doubles and mixed—required a level of consistency and mental toughness that’s hard to downplay.
Serena Williams – the Open Era benchmark
Serena’s 23 singles Grand Slams all came in the Open Era, against a truly global field of power hitters, counter-punchers and specialists on every surface.
She won majors across three decades, beat multiple generations of rivals and did it with a game that evolved over time. For many fans and analysts, Serena is the “GOAT” of women’s tennis, even if she finished one title shy of Court’s number.
Steffi Graf – the Golden Slam queen
If you’re looking for peak dominance, Steffi Graf’s 1988 season is unmatched: she won all four majors and Olympic gold, the only “Golden Slam” in history.
Her 22 majors came in a fiercely competitive late-80s/90s era, and she was lethal on every surface. Where Serena’s legacy leans on power and longevity, Graf’s rests on balance: footwork, precision and tactical brilliance.
Beyond singles: doubles and mixed doubles queens
If you widen the lens beyond singles, another name explodes to the top of the record books: Martina Navratilova. She “only” has 18 singles majors, but in doubles she goes into cheat-code territory:
| Player | Singles GS | Women’s doubles GS | Mixed doubles GS | Total Grand Slam titles |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Martina Navratilova | 18 | 31 | 10 | 59 |
| Margaret Court | 24 | 19 | 21 | 64 |
| Serena Williams | 23 | 14 | 2 | 39 |
- Navratilova’s 31 women’s doubles majors are a record on their own.
- Court’s 21 mixed doubles titles are also an all-time high.
So if your question is “Who has the most Grand Slams in any women’s tennis combined?” the answer is actually Margaret Court (64 total), with Navratilova not far behind. If you mean singles only, it’s Margaret Court (24), with Serena and Steffi close behind.
Active stars chasing history
Right now, nobody active is knocking on the 20+ door—but a few names are beginning to write their own chapters.
- Iga Świątek: With 6 majors already (4 French Opens, 1 US Open, 1 Wimbledon by 2025), she’s putting together an early résumé that looks very serious [2].
- Naomi Osaka, Aryna Sabalenka, Coco Gauff and others have multiple slams or the potential to collect them, but catching the all-time leaders would still require a decade of dominance.
The context here matters: the modern game is deeper than ever. Physically, tactically and mentally, the tour is brutal. That makes any run toward double-digit slams incredibly hard—and makes what Court, Serena, Graf and Navratilova achieved even more staggering.
Why these records matter (and why numbers aren’t everything)
Grand Slam counts are the cleanest way to compare eras, but they don’t tell the whole story:
- Era differences – Amateur vs Open Era, travel conditions, equipment, sports science.
- Field depth – Today’s draws are more global and physical than ever.
- Longevity vs peak – Some players dominate a short window, others grind for decades.
- Cultural impact – Serena’s influence, Billie Jean King’s activism, Navratilova’s role model status… those don’t fit in a table.
Still, when someone asks “Who has the most Grand Slams in women’s tennis?” they’re usually looking for one headline name.
For now, that name is Margaret Court in singles, with Serena Williams and Steffi Graf close behind—and a new generation trying to climb the same mountain.
I hope you enjoyed reading this breakdown of Who Has the Most Grand Slams in Women’s Tennis. If you’re interested in more stories behind the sport’s biggest names, you might also enjoy my deep dive into Iga Świątek’s net worth—a look at how one of today’s most dominant champions is building her legacy both on and off the court.
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