US Open Women's Singles Winners

Two women started their charge for Grand Slam titles before the start of the Open Era in 1968 - Margaret Smith Court of Australia and the legendary Billie Jean King, reputed to be the most famous sports woman of all time.

Smith Court continues to hold the most illustrious record in professional tennis; 24 Grand Slam singles titles - only Steffi Graf has come close, with 22. Court Smith ultimately took four singles crowns at the US Open and she will remain one of the finest champions of the event.

Following Margaret Smith Court's run at the tournament; the Americans began to dominate well into the 1980s. Initially in the form of Billie Jean King, who claimed four singles wins at New York, it was then the beginning of the superlative reign of the 'Ice Maiden' of tennis, Chris Evert.

She clinched six singles wins, and in the couple of years that she was not champion at Flushing Meadows, another American, Tracey Austin, filled her shoes.

Martina Navratilova took centre stage for a while, until the US Open women's singles winner was dethroned by arguably the best women's tennis player of all time, Steffi Graf. The German star ruled supreme until her final title in 1996.

For a while thereafter the USA made a resurgence in the form of Lindsay Davenport and Serena and Venus Williams, until the Europeans again managed to get on top.

Evonne Goolagong-Cawley of Australia must be considered one of the unluckiest contestants of the US Open. She was finalist from 1973 to 1976 but never managed to clinch the match. She ultimately lost each time to the greats of women's tennis - Margaret Smith Court, Billie Jean King and Chris Evert.