Ana Ivanovic, born on November 6, 1987, in Belgrade, is a former professional tennis player from Serbia. She reached world No. 1 in 2008. Starting her professional career in 2003, Ivanovic won 15 WTA Tour singles titles, including a Grand Slam title in women’s singles. In June 2011, she was named one of the 30 legends of women’s tennis by Time magazine and featured in the list of the top 100 greatest tennis players of all time by Matthew Cronin. Ivanovic’s interest in tennis began at the age of 5 when she watched fellow countrywoman Monica Seles compete on television. She started her career after obtaining a tennis training facility’s phone number from an advertisement. During NATO bombing raids in Yugoslavia, she trained in the morning to avoid airstrikes. Her training took place in an abandoned swimming pool during the winter because tennis courts were not available.

IvanovicIvanovic began 2006 at the Hopman Cup in Perth, Australia, partnering with compatriot Novak Djokovic. They reached the final but lost. A breakthrough in 2006 was defeating former world No. 1 Martina Hingis in the Rogers Cup final in Montreal before overcoming Jelena Jankovic, Katarina Srebotnik, and Dinara Safina. At the US Open, she lost to Serena Williams in the third round.

Maria Sharapova was born on April 19, 1987, is a retired professional tennis player from Russia currently residing in the United States. She began participating in WTA events in 2001. She held the world No. 1 ranking for a total of 21 weeks. Sharapova is one of the 10 female players and the only Russian to achieve a Career Grand Slam, winning all four major titles. She also earned a Silver Medal for the Russian team at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London. Sharapova’s career highlights include five Grand Slam singles titles. Her first title was at Wimbledon in 2004, defeating Serena Williams in the final, followed by the US Open in 2006, where she triumphed over Justine Henin in the championship match. The third title came at the Australian Open in 2008, beating Ana Ivanovic. She completed her Career Grand Slam at the French Open in 2012, defeating Sara Errani. Her fifth Grand Slam title was at the French Open in 2014. Sharapova also won the WTA Championships in 2004. Additionally, she was the runner-up at Wimbledon in 2011, the Australian Open in 2012, the WTA Championships in 2012, and the French Open in 2013.

In 2004, Sharapova became the third-youngest woman in history to win the Wimbledon singles title (after Lottie Dod and Martina Hingis), and the second-youngest in the Open Era, defeating Ai Sugiyama in the quarterfinals, Lindsay Davenport in the semifinals, and defending champion Serena Williams in the final. She also became the first Russian woman to win the title. Sharapova ended 2004 with a victory at the WTA Championships, overcoming S. Williams after being down 0-4 in the deciding set. From June 2004 to the Wimbledon 2005 semifinal, Sharapova had a 22-match unbeaten streak on grass (including consecutive titles in Birmingham and one at Wimbledon). After her success in 2004, Sharapova continued her strong performance, reaching the semifinals of the 2005 Australian Open and narrowly losing to Serena Williams, despite having three match points. At Wimbledon in 2005, defending her title, Sharapova reached the semifinals without dropping a set, but she faced a resurgent Venus Williams and suffered a defeat with scores of (7-6, 6-1). This also ended her 22-match unbeaten streak on grass.

3. Eugenie Bouchard

Eugénie Bouchard born on February 25, 1994, is a Canadian tennis player. She won the Wimbledon Junior Championships in 2012 in the women’s singles category. After concluding the WTA Tour Championships 2013, she received the WTA Awards as the Player of the Year. Reaching the final of Wimbledon 2014, Eugenie Bouchard became the first Canadian to reach the final of a Grand Slam and the second to make it to the semifinals after appearances in the semifinals of the Australian Open and Roland Garros in 2014. Eugenie Bouchard’s father is of French-Canadian descent, her mother is of Irish descent, and she was named after Princess Eugenie of York in England. She has a twin sister named Beatrice, six minutes older, and two younger siblings named Charlotte (named after Princess Charlotte of Wales) and William (named after Prince William). Her twin sister is also named after Princess Beatrice of York.

Eugenie started playing tennis at the age of 5, introduced to the sport by her mother, who enrolled both her and her twin sister in a children’s tennis group. The Canadian tennis player participated in her first tournament at the age of 9 and mentioned that she was determined to pursue the sport from then on. I know 9 is young to decide anything, but sometimes you just know, Eugenie said. Her sister chose not to pursue a tennis career, although they remain close. At the age of 12, she moved to Florida to pursue a professional tennis career under the guidance of coach Nick Saviano, and it was also where she reunited with her childhood friend, tennis player Laura Robson. Three years later, Bouchard returned to Montreal to continue tennis training. Besides tennis talent, Bouchard is also academically gifted in mathematics and science; she once studied to become a doctor.

4. Sania Mirza

Sania Mirza born on November 15, 1986, is a professional tennis player from India. A former world No. 1 in doubles, she has won six Grand Slam titles in her career. From 2003 until her retirement from singles in 2013, she was ranked as India’s No. 1 female singles tennis player by the Women’s Tennis Association. In her singles career, Mirza achieved notable victories against Svetlana Kuznetsova, Vera Zvonareva, and Marion Bartoli, as well as former world No. 1 players Martina Hingis, Dinara Safina, and Victoria Azarenka. She is the highest-ranked female tennis player from India to date, reaching world No. 27 in mid-2007. However, a major wrist injury forced her to retire from singles and focus on doubles. She has achieved several firsts for Indian women’s tennis in her homeland, including surpassing $1 million in career earnings (ultimately over $6.9 million), winning WTA singles titles, and securing a Grand Slam title (eventually three in women’s and mixed doubles), as well as qualifying for (and ultimately winning) WTA Finals in 2014 with Cara Black, defending the title the following year with Martina Hingis.

Until now, Mirza is one of two Indian female tennis players to win WTA titles in all disciplines and the only one to break into the top 100 in singles rankings. She is the third Indian woman in the Open Era (after Nirupama Mankad and Nirupama Sanjeev, ranking second in singles behind Sanjeev) to compete and win a round at a Grand Slam event and the first to advance past the second round. With 42 doubles titles, Mirza has won more WTA doubles titles than any other active player. Additionally, she held the world No. 1 doubles ranking for 91 weeks. In 2005, Mirza won the WTA Newcomer of the Year, and in 2015, she and Martina Hingis were named Doubles Team of the Year, subsequently having a 44-match winning streak, one of the longest in history. She also garnered a total of 14 medals (including 6 gold medals) at three major multi-sport events: the Asian Games, Commonwealth Games, and Asian Indoor Games.

5. Caroline Wozniacki

Caroline Wozniacki, born on July 11, 1990, in Odense, is a former Danish tennis player. She reached her career-high ranking of World No. 1 on October 7, 2010, holding this position for 67 weeks until January 30, 2012. On January 29, 2018, she reclaimed the World No. 1 spot after winning the Australian Open 2018. Wozniacki is the only Danish female player ranked among the top 300 WTA players and the first Danish female player to reach a Grand Slam final (US Open 2009). Wozniacki‘s parents, Piotr and Anna, have Polish roots. Her Polish name is ‘Karolina Woźniacka,’ and her father Piotr Wozniacki also serves as her coach.

Wozniacki was born into a sports-oriented family. Her mother was a national team volleyball player in Poland, and her father played professional football in Germany. The Wozniacki family moved to Denmark when he played for a club there. Her older brother, Patrick Wozniacki, is also a professional footballer in Denmark. Regarding her hobbies, Wozniacki told Teen Vogue, ‘I like handball (a popular sport in Europe), soccer, swimming, playing the piano, and many other things.’ Wozniacki is fluent in Danish, Polish, and English, and she also has a good understanding of Russian. Her playing style is characterized by defensive-counterpunching, with excellent mobility and anticipation. Her two-handed backhand is a strong weapon for counterattacks. Wozniacki uses Babolat racquets, wears Adidas outfits designed by Stella McCartney, and has sponsorship deals with brands like Compeed, Rolex, Danske Invest, Oriflame, Proactiv, Sony Ericsson…

Maria Yuryevna Kirilenko, born on January 25, 1987, is a professional tennis player from Russia. At a young age, she secured the US Open Grand Slam title in 2002 at the age of 15. Subsequently, she entered the top 10 rankings in both WTA singles and doubles. Kirilenko has won 6 singles titles and 12 doubles titles in the WTA system. She reached the quarterfinals in women’s singles at three Grand Slam events (Australian Open 2011, Wimbledon 2012, French Open 2013) and made it to the semi-finals in the 2012 Summer Olympics (earning a bronze medal, losing to Victoria Azarenka in the bronze medal match). She achieved a career-high singles ranking of World No. 10 on June 10, 2013. In doubles, her highest ranking was World No. 5 on October 24, 2011. Kirilenko reached two Grand Slam doubles finals at the Australian Open 2011 (partnering with Victoria Azarenka) and the French Open 2012 (partnering with Nadia Petrova), winning the WTA Tour Championships doubles title in 2012 with Petrova and securing a doubles bronze medal at the 2012 Summer Olympics.

Kirilenko did not feature in tournaments in 2014 due to recovering from a knee injury sustained at the Tournament of Champions in Sofia. She also missed the Australian Open due to injury. After skipping the top mandatory events in Indian Wells and Miami, Kirilenko returned at the Family Circle Cup in Charleston. Ranked 10th, she suffered a first-round defeat to Belinda Bencic, who eventually reached her first WTA semi-final. At the Mutua Madrid Open, Kirilenko defeated Kristina Mladenovic in the opening round for her first win of the year. She withdrew from her second-round match against Caroline Garcia due to a left wrist injury. In Rome at the Italian Open, Kirilenko lost to Svetlana Kuznetsova in the first round. Kirilenko made an appearance in the opening round of the French Open, winning three matches before losing to Johanna Larsson. As a result, her ranking dropped 44 places to 88 after failing to defend quarterfinal points. Kirilenko played the pre-Wimbledon tournament in Rosmalen at the Topshelf Open but lost to Mona Barthel in the first round. Kirilenko entered Wimbledon with a ranking of 109, her lowest in five years. She caused an upset by defeating the 18th seed and last year’s quarterfinalist Sloane Stephens in the first round. She was defeated in the second round by Peng Shuai.

Sorana Mihaela Cîrstea , born on April 7, 1990, is a Romanian professional tennis player. In singles, she achieved her career-high ranking of World No. 21 on August 12, 2013. In doubles, her highest career ranking is No. 35, reached on March 9, 2009. Cîrstea is an explosive power baseline player, with a game revolving around her fast, flat, and powerful groundstrokes. Due to her high-risk playing style, she often accumulates a high number of both winners and unforced errors. Her left-handed forehand is her most reliable shot, consistently hitting winners with it, even when not aiming specifically for the lines, penetrating deep into the court, allowing her to dictate play. Her right-handed backhand is hit very flat, enabling her to hit consistently deep, generating consistent power and producing a large number of winners.

Cîrstea was a former top-10 player in the ITF Junior Circuit, reaching a career-high combined ranking of No. 6 in 2006. Her notable results include a title at the 2005 Junior French Open (Grade 1) where she reached the final in the same year. Before that, she defeated Erika Zanchetta in three sets in the final and was the runner-up at the Trofeo Bonfiglio 2006 (Grade A), where she lost in the final to compatriot Ioana Raluca Olaru after defeating the top-ranked junior player Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova in the semifinals. She also made her last appearances at Grade 1 junior events at the end of the year, the Eddie Herr International and the Yucatán World Cup, in 2005 and 2006, and at the Opus Nottinghill International in 2006. In April 2007, she reached the final of the Budapest Grand Prix, a Grade III event, as a qualifier. All her main-draw matches went to three sets. She defeated Martina Müller in the second round, Eleni Daniilidou in the quarterfinals, and Karin Knapp in the semifinals before losing to Gisela Dulko in the final. She became the first Romanian to reach a WTA Tour final since Ruxandra Dragomir in June 2000.

Camila Giorgi, born on December 30, 1991, is a professional tennis player from Italy. After claiming her first ITF title in 2009, she made her Grand Slam debut and main draw appearance at Wimbledon 2011. Giorgi reached the fourth round of Wimbledon 2012 only in her second appearance at the tournament. Following successes in championships, she entered the WTA top 100. The next year, she continued with victories in the third round at Wimbledon and achieved her second Grand Slam fourth round at the US Open. She reached her first Grand Slam quarterfinal at Wimbledon 2018, six years after her Wimbledon breakthrough. Giorgi entered her first WTA final in 2014 at the Katowice Open and later secured her first title at the Rosmalen Open. Her highest singles ranking was World No. 26 in October 2018.

Camila Giorgi is known for her aggressive playing style and powerful flat groundstrokes, considered one of the toughest hitters on the tour. Her notable professional victories include defeating former World No. 1 players Caroline Wozniacki, Maria Sharapova, and Victoria Azarenka at the US Open 2013, Indian Wells Open, and Eastbourne International, respectively. Initially drawn to artistic gymnastics, Giorgi committed to tennis after supporting her brother’s coaching at the age of 5. She underwent rigorous training under her father, Sergio. In 1976, French Open champion Adriano Panatta commented on her game, saying, ‘This is the first time I’ve seen a girl play like Andre Agassi.’ In 2000, tennis coach Nick Bollettieri discovered her, recommending 7 months of training (previously reserved for Maria Sharapova). In November 2005, she reached the final of the Nike Junior Tour, but was defeated by Zuzana Luknárová from Slovakia. Giorgi reached the final at Sey Development Cup in the Czech Republic and the round of 16 at Astrid Bowl in Belgium.

Garbiñe Muguruza Blanco, born on October 8, 1993, is a Spanish professional tennis player. To date, she has won 2 Grand Slam titles, claiming the French Open in 2016 by defeating Serena Williams and Wimbledon in 2017 by defeating Venus Williams. She became the first player in history to defeat both Williams sisters in Grand Slam finals. Muguruza also held the World No. 1 ranking for 4 weeks at the end of 2017. Known for her powerful baseline play and aggressive attacks, Muguruza gained attention by reaching the fourth round of the Australian Open 2014, eliminating seed Caroline Wozniacki. In the same year, she ousted the top seed Serena Williams en route to the Roland Garros quarterfinals. In 2015, she secured her first title at the China Open and reached her first Grand Slam final at Wimbledon. At the end-of-year WTA Finals, she went undefeated in the group stage but lost in the semifinals to the eventual champion, Agnieszka Radwańska. Muguruza also had success in women’s doubles, finishing as a runner-up at the 2015 WTA Finals and the French Open 2014. She holds 5 doubles titles with compatriot Carla Suárez Navarro.

Muguruza started her 2016 season at the Brisbane International but had to retire in her opening match due to a leg muscle strain. Her next tournament was the Australian Open, where she reached the third round with consecutive victories over Anett Kontaveit and Kirsten Flipkens but fell to Barbora Strýcová. In the Fed Cup, Muguruza helped the Spanish team defeat Serbia by winning against Ivana Jorović and Jelena Janković. At the Dubai Tennis Championships, Muguruza suffered an early exit, facing a defeat against Elina Svitolina. Her following tournament was the Qatar Open, where she reached her first quarterfinal of the year, defeating Nao Hibino and Tímea Babos but then lost to Andrea Petkovic in three sets. Subsequently, she played at the Indian Wells Open, losing her opening match to Christina McHale despite winning the first set. At the Miami Open, she narrowly avoided defeat in the opening match against Dominika Cibulkova, securing victory in the final set. She reached the fourth round but lost to Victoria Azarenka in two tiebreaks.

Alizé Cornet, born on January 22, 1990, is a professional tennis player from France. With six singles titles and three doubles titles on the WTA Tour, she achieved her career-high singles ranking of World No. 11 on February 16, 2009. Cornet reached the fourth round in all four Grand Slam events, making appearances in the Australian Open 2009, Wimbledon 2014, French Open 2015 and 2017, and the 2020 US Open. In 2014, she gained recognition by defeating the World No. 1, Serena Williams, three times. At the Dubai Tennis Championships, Cornet secured consecutive victories against Williams in the semifinals, propelling her to the biggest singles final in almost six years. In July, at Wimbledon, she came back after a set down to defeat Williams in the third round, causing the earliest exit for the American at the tournament since 2005. Her third triumph came in the second round at Wuhan later that year, where Williams retired due to illness. Alizé Cornet also has an impressive record in junior rankings, reaching a career-high combined world ranking of 8 on June 11, 2007. She claimed her sole Grand Slam singles title at the 2007 French Open. Cornet began her 2016 season at the Brisbane International, losing in the second round to Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova. Seeded seventh at the Hobart International, Cornet clinched her fifth WTA singles title by defeating Eugenie Bouchard in the final. At the Australian Open, Cornet was defeated in the second round by Shuai Zhang. In March, Cornet competed at the Miami Open, losing in the second round to the third seed and 2012 champion Agnieszka Radwańska. Seeded fourth at the Katowice Open, Cornet was ousted in the second round by Francesca Schiavone. Starting the clay-court season at the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix, Cornet lost to Julia Görges in the opening round. In Prague, Cornet suffered a first-round defeat to Czech representative Kateřina Siniaková. At the Madrid Open, Cornet was eliminated in the second round by the fourth-seeded Victoria Azarenka. Playing in Rome, she lost her first match to Misaki Doi. Seeded ninth at the Internationaux de Strasbourg, Cornet was defeated in the first round by Alla Kudryavtseva in qualifying. At the French Open, she reached the third round but was ousted by the ninth-seeded Venus Williams.