Almanac Tennis: The top 15 Australian Female Tennis Players 1985-2024

 

The top 15 Australian Female Tennis Players 1985-2024 by Philip Mendes

 

For more than a decade from 1970 to the mid-1980s, our female players were the jewels of the crown in Australian tennis. Margaret Court won the Grand Slam in 1970 and 24 majors in total. Evonne Goolagong Cawley also achieved the number one ranking and won seven Grand Slams including Wimbledon in 1971 and 1980. Additionally, Wendy Turnbull, Kerry Melville Reid, Karen Krantzcke, Lesley Hunt, Dianne Fromholtz Balestrat and Helen Gourlay achieved Top 15 rankings in this period, and Christine O’Neil won the 1978 Australian Open. But then a long drought commenced, broken only by Samantha Stosur’s fantastic US Open victory in 2011. And then came the brilliance of Ash Barty, the pride of Australian tennis, and arguably our best female player since the great Margaret Court.

 

Below I list the top 15 female players (in my opinion over the past four decades).

 

Ashleigh Barty was the Queen of Australian women’s tennis. She won 15 titles including three Grand Slams, and held the number one ranking for 121 weeks in total. Her consecutive 114 weeks at number one is the fourth highest in WTA history, ended only by her premature retirement from tennis in March 2022. Barty was also ranked number five in doubles, and won the US Open doubles in 2018.

 

Samantha Stosur restored the glory of Australian women’s tennis by memorably defeating Serena Williams to win the US Open in 2011. She also reached a French Open Final and Semi Final in consecutive years, won nine titles, and achieved a highest ranking of number four in 2011. She also became the number one Doubles player in the world in 2006.

 

Alicia Molik won five titles, reached the Australian Open quarter finals in 2005, won a Bronze Medal at the 2004 Olympics, and achieved a highest ranking of eight in 2005. Unfortunately, her career was cut short by a debilitating ear illness.

 

Casey Delacqua made the fourth round of three Grand Slams, and achieved her highest ranking of 26 in 2014. She was an outstanding doubles player, runner-up in seven Grand Slam doubles finals, and achieved a number three ranking.

 

Jelena Dokic, born in Serbia before moving to Australia as a child and then back to Serbia in 2000 and again returning to Australia in 2005, achieved a number four ranking in 2002. She won six titles, and made at least the fourth round at all four Grand Slams including the Wimbledon semi finals in 2000.

 

Elizabeth Smylie won three titles, made the quarter finals of the Australian Open in 1987, and twice made the fourth round at Wimbledon. Her highest ranking was 20 in 1987.

 

Anne Minter won four titles, made the quarter finals of the Australian Open in 1988, and twice made the fourth round at Wimbledon. She reached her highest ranking of 23 in 1988.

 

Nicole Provis Bradtke won three titles, and reached the semi finals of the French Open in 1988. Her highest ranking was 24 in 1993.

 

Two current players come next. Daria Saville, born in Russia before moving to Australia, has won one WTA title, and made the Italian open semi finals in 2015. Her highest ranking was 20 in 2017. Ajla Tomjanovic, born in Croatia before moving to Australia, has won one WTA title, and participated in three Grand Slam quarter finals. Her highest ranking was 32 in 2023.

 

Jarmilla Wolfe, born in Slovakia before coming to Australia, won two career titles, made the fourth round of two Grand Slams, and reached her highest ranking of 25 in 2011. Rachel McQuillan achieved a highest ranking of 28 in 1991, and made the fourth round of four Grand Slams.

 

Nicole Pratt was a late bloomer who achieved her highest ranking of 35 at the age of 29 years in 2002. She won one title, and reached the fourth round of the Australian Open in 2003. Janine Thompson won four WTA titles, made the fourth round of two Grand Slams, and achieved a highest ranking of 53 in 1986. Rennae Stubbs grabs the last spot on this list given she achieved the number one world ranking in doubles in 2000, and secured four Grand Slam doubles titles.

 

Other players who might have been included in an expanded Top 20 include Jo-Anne Faull, Annabel Elwood, Anastasia Rodionova, Kristin Godridge, Elizabeth Minter and Storm Hunter.

 

Hopefully, current young guns Maya Joint and Emerson Joint will advance into this group in the near future.

 

The Top 15 Australian Women 1985 – 2024

Ashleigh Barty

 

Samantha Stosur

 

Alicia Molik

 

Casey Delacqua

 

Jelena Dokic

 

Elizabeth Smylie

 

Anne Minter

 

Nicole Provis Bradtke

 

Daria Saville

 

Ajla Tomjanovic

 

Jarmilla Wolfe

 

Rachel McQuillan

 

Nicole Pratt

 

Janine Thompson

 

Rennae Stubbs

 

More from Philip Mendes can be read Here.

 

 

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