Full list of women's singles players to defend Wimbledon title

American players dominate the list, highlighting the country’s dominance in women’s tennis over the past few decades.

Since 2016, eight different Wimbledon winners have emerged in women’s singles. The grass season lasts for only two months, making it a quick turnaround from the vastly different conditions of clay to grass.

However, the story was different a decade or two back, when tennis players consistently delivered titles at SW19 with success. Here we take a look at the full list of women’s singles players to defend the Wimbledon title.

Also Read: Top five youngest women’s singles champions at Wimbledon

List of women to defend the Wimbledon title-

Billie Jean King

Billie Jean King became the first woman to defend her Wimbledon title. After winning her first two championships in 1966 and 1967, King triumphed again in 1968—the inaugural Open Era event—by defeating Judy Tegart in the final.

She regained the title in 1972 by defeating reigning champion Evonne Goolagong. After that, she successfully defended it in 1973 with a win over Chris Evert.

Martina Navratilova

Martina Navratilova is the most successful Wimbledon champion in Open Era history across genders, with a record nine singles titles. The American first defended her title in 1979 following her maiden win in 1978. Navratilova then embarked on an unprecedented run, winning six consecutive titles from 1982 to 1987.

Her dominance on grass was marked by victories over greats like Chris Evert, Andrea Jaeger, Hana Mandlikova, and Steffi Graf in those finals.

Steffi Graf

Steffi Graf joined this elite club by winning her first Wimbledon title in 1988, defeating six-time defending champion Navratilova, and then defending her crown in 1989.

The German went on to claim three consecutive titles from 1991 to 1993 and later defended her title again in 1996, finishing her career with seven Wimbledon singles trophies.

Also Read: Wimbledon: Full list of title winners

Venus Williams

Venus Williams claimed her first Wimbledon title in 2000, beating Lindsay Davenport, and defended it in 2001 against Justine Henin. She repeated the back-to-back feat in 2007 and 2008, defeating Marion Bartoli and her sister Serena Williams, respectively. Her powerful serving game helped her collect five Grand Slam titles throughout her career.

Serena Williams

Serena Williams has also successfully defended her Wimbledon title on multiple occasions. She won her first two championships in 2002 and 2003, defeating her sister Venus in both finals.

After a six-year gap, the American lifted the trophy in back-to-back years again in 2009 and 2010, and she repeated the feat in 2015 and 2016. With seven Wimbledon singles titles, Serena’s reign at SW19 is marked by her power, resilience, and ability to deliver in the biggest moments.

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