US Open Women's Singles Winners

Justine Henin of Belgium celebrates with the winners' trophy after defeating Svetlana Kuznetsova of Russia by a score of 6-1, 6-3 to win the Women's Singles Finals on day thirteen of the 2007 U.S. Open at the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center on September 8, 2007 in the Flushing neighborhood of the Queens borough of New York City 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 a 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.

Year

Champion

Runner-up

Score

2008 Serena Williams Jelena Jankovic
 6–4, 7–5
2007 Justine Henin Svetlana Kuznetsova 6-1 6-3
2006 Maria Sharapova Justine Henin 6-4 6-4
2005 Kim Clijsters Mary Pierce 6-3 6-1
2004 Svetlana Kuznetsova Elena Dementieva 6-3 7-5
2003 Justine Henin Kim Clijsters 7-5 6-1
2002 Serena Williams Venus Williams 6-4 6-3
2001 Venus Williams Serena Williams 6-2 6-4
2000 Venus Williams Lindsay Davenport 6-4 7-5
1999 Serena Williams Martina Hingis 6-3 7-6(4)
1998 Lindsay Davenport Martina Hingis 6-3 7-5
1997 Martina Hingis Venus Williams 6-0 6-4
1996 Steffi Graf Monica Seles 7-5 6-4
1995 Steffi Graf Monica Seles 7-6 0-6 6-3
1994 Arantxa Sanchez Vicario Steffi Graf 1-6 7-6 6-4
1993 Steffi Graf Helen Sukova 6-3 6-3
1992 Monica Seles Arantxa Sanchez Vicario 6-3 6-3
1991 Monica Seles Martina Navratilova 7-6 6-1
1990 Gabriela Sabatini Steffi Graf 6-2 7-6
1989 Steffi Graf Martina Navratilova 3-6 7-5 6-1
1988 Steffi Graf Gabriela Sabatini 6-3 3-6 6-1
1987 Martina Navratilova Steffi Graf 7-6 6-1
1986 Martina Navratilova H Sukova 6-3 6-2
1985 Hana Mandlikova Martina Navratilova 7-6 1-6 7-6
1984 Martina Navratilova Chris Evert 4-6 6-4 6-4
1983 Martina Navratilova Chris Evert 6-1 6-3
1982 Chris Evert Hana Mandlikova 6-3 6-1
1981 Tracey Austin Martina Navratilova 1-6 7-6 7-6
1980 Chris Evert Hana Mandlikova 5-7 6-1 6-1
1979 Tracey Austin Chris Evert 6-4 6-3
1978 Chris Evert Pam Shriver 7-5 6-4
1977 Chris Evert Wendy Turnbull 7-6 6-2
1976 Chris Evert E Goolagong Cawley 6-3 6-0
1975 Chris Evert Evonne Goolagong Cawley 5-7 6-4 6-2
1974 Billie Jean King Evonne Goolagong Cawley 3-6 6-3 7-5
1973 Margaret Smith Court Evonne Goolagong Cawley 7-6 5-7 6-2
1972 Billie Jean King Kerry Melville Reid 6-3 7-5
1971 Billie Jean King Rosemary Casals 6-4 7-6
1970 Margaret Smith Court Rosemary Casals 6-2 2-6 6-1
1969 Margaret Smith Court Nancy Richey Gunter 6-2 6-2
1968 Virginia Wade Billie Jean King 6-4 6-2
1968 Virginia Wade Billie Jean King 6-4 6-2

Do you know who the US Open women's singles at the 2009 event at Flushing Meadows in New York?