Top 5 youngest Women’s Champions at the French Open
Follow Us
Monica Seles and Steffi Graff
The French Open is the only Grand Slam played on the clay court and is also one of the most prestigious ones. The French Open, also known as the Roland Garros was started in the year 1891, but women were only allowed to play from 1897. With this in mind, let us look at some of the youngest french open champions in women’s tennis from the Open Era.
#5. Evonne Goolagong Cawley
The Australian player was all the rage back in the 1970s and 1980s. After the retirement of Margaret Court, it fell upon this tennis sensation to take up the charge in the Australian Open and she sure didn’t disappoint. The Australian went on to win 7 Grand Slams in singles and is one of the only players along with Margaret to win Grand Slams after childbirth. She won her first and only French Open title at the age of 19 years, 309 days in the year 1971.
#4. Chris Evert
Who has not heard of Chris Evert? The American is widely known even now for the opinions that she gives about the current generation players. The tennis sensation is known for winning 18 Grand Slams, with 7 Grand Slams just from the French Open. She also has an astounding collection of 157 Singles titles. With a record of winning at least one Grand Slam a year, it is no wonder she was popular with the crowd. She now works as a tennis analyst for ESPN. She won her first French Open title in the year 1974 at the age of 19 years and 176 days.
#3. Steffi Graff
The player who has won 22 Grand Slams. Who has not heard about the tennis star and her achievements? The sensation has won a Grand Slam on every court at least 4 times. Graff won the first-ever Grand Slam on the clay-court French Open in 1987 at the age of 17 years and 357 days. Not only was this her achievement, but she has also managed to stay the world no. 1 for 377 weeks continuously and is one of the most famous tennis stars to have ever played and is one of the wider known tennis figures in the world.
#2. Arantxa Sánchez Vicario
The Spanish player is one of the greatest players of her generation who has reached the finals of all the four grand slams. She’s also had immense success in doubles and mixed doubles too, winning 4 Grand Slams in mixed doubles and 6 in the doubles tournaments. But her skills lied in the singles tournament as she has won 4 Grand Slams in her career. Her achievement in the French Open came when she beat Steffi Graph in the 1989 French Open at the age of only 17 and 174 days.
#1. Monica Seles
And the winner of this list goes to Monica Seles. A Yugoslavian player at the time, the youngster won her first French Open Grand Slam just at the age of 16 and 189 days and created history. She won 8 Grand slams all when she was a teenager, which no other player has been able to accomplish. She had also contributed to her country by winning the Hopman Cup. When she turned into an American citizen, she helped the US win the Fed Cup three times. She has won her French Open three times continuously and is the first woman to do so.
Stay Updated!
Harini Mahesh
(159 Articles Published)