Which female tennis player holds the record for most Grand Slam singles titles in the Open Era? Serena Williams holds the record, with 23 Grand Slam singles titles. Her total is the highest by any woman in the Open Era, which began in 1968.
Williams won her first major singles title at the 1999 US Open. Her 23rd came at the 2017 Australian Open, where she defeated her sister Venus Williams in the final. That victory also made Serena the first player in the Open Era to win 23 major singles championships.
Her titles are spread across all four Grand Slam tournaments: seven Australian Opens, three French Opens, seven Wimbledon titles, and six US Opens. She is one of the few players to win each major at least three times, demonstrating success across hard, clay, and grass courts.
A frequent confusion involves Margaret Court, who won 24 major singles titles overall. However, 11 of Court’s titles came before the Open Era. The question specifies the Open Era, making Serena Williams the canonical answer. Chris Evert and Martina Navratilova each won 18 major singles titles, while Steffi Graf won 22.