Top five women's singles players with most WTA hard court titles 

The list includes some top legendary tennis players of all time. 

American legend Serena Williams has won several trophies including 23 Grand Slams, 73 titles, 1 Olympic gold medal, 3 Olympic trophies in doubles, five WTA Finals, 1 Fed Cup and the list goes on, making her the most successful women's singles tennis player in the Open Era. She also held the World No.1 for 186 weeks in a row and 309 weeks in total. 

Her 23 Grand Slams include 7 Wimbledon titles, 7 Australian Open trophies, six at the US Open and three French Open crowns. 

A player needs to be able to withstand quick play to survive on hard courts at the professional level. The ball bounces slightly differently on every hard court, although frequently it does so faster. Therefore, it favours heavy hitters with excellent footwork.

On account of Serena Williams's birthday, let us have a look at the top five women's singles players with the most hard-court titles as the American legend tops the list. 

5. Venus Williams (33)

Venus Williams is a seven-time Grand Slam champion with five at Wimbledon and two at the US Open and with multiple doubles and mixed doubles titles. 

The only surface on which Venus has not achieved a Grand Slam victory is clay. Although she feels most at ease on the grass where she can fully utilise her height and strength with five Wimbledon titles, she has also won 33 hard court titles in her career so far which ties her with Lindsay Davenport in the list of top five women's singles players with most hard court titles. 

4. Lindsay Davenport (33)

Hard court has been the primary venue for Davenport's victories. She is the fourth player in women's singles to win the most hard-court titles counting to 33. Additionally, she competed in the 2005 Australian Open final, where Serena Williams defeated her, and the 2000 US Open final, where she lost to Venus Williams. 

In all, Davenport won 55 WTA Tour singles championships; the majority of them were won on hard court, including the Tour Finals, the 1996 Atlanta Olympics gold medal, and three major championships (one each at the Australian Open, Wimbledon Championships, and US Open). 

3. Chris Evert (35) 

For 13 years, from November 1973 to November 1986, Chris Evert, the 18-time Grand Slam champion, prevailed in 94% of her matches on hard courts. She was only defeated by Fromholtz, Austin, Navratilova, Mandlikova (1985 US Open SF), and Helena Sukova (1986 US Open SF) during this time. 

2. Steffi Graf (37)

At the US Open (five) and Australian Open (four), Steffi Graf concluded her playing career with nine Grand Slam singles victories as her fast serve performed significantly better on hard courts. Her style quickly developed into a potent two-handed backhand and a level of focus that frequently alarmed opponents. She has won 37 hard court titles which makes her the second most women's singles player to grab this many titles on the surface. 

Not to forget, at the age of 19, Steffi Graf, the 22-time Grand Slam champion won the Olympic gold medal and all four Grand Slams, the only player to win a golden slam to date. 

1. Serena Williams (48)

Although she has excelled in all the different types of tennis surfaces, she becomes something else on the hard court. On hard courts, she has won an incredible 13 Grand Slam titles which includes seven at the Australian Open and six at the US Open. Fast courts are ideal for her style since they let her consistently hit winners and throw her opponents off balance. Williams has clinched 48 hard-court titles in her career which makes her the most successful player to win this many titles in Open Era.