A complete look at WTA Finals champions shaping women’s tennis through five decades
Mandatory Credit: Susan Mullane-USA TODAY Sports
The 2025 WTA Finals are set to light up Riyadh, Saudi arabia, from November 1 to 8, bringing together the season’s best in women’s tennis for the sport’s most prestigious year-end event. This marks the 54th edition of the singles and the 49th edition of the doubles championship, continuing a legacy that has defined generations of champions.
The singles field is stacked with star power, with Aryna Sabalenka, Iga Swiatek, Coco Gauff, amanda anisimova, Jessica Pegula, Elena Rybakina, Madison Keys, and Jasmine Paolini all vying to close out the year in dominant fashion. as the tour’s elite converge in Riyadh, it’s the perfect moment to look back at the champions’ roll since 1972, and the legends who’ve conquered the Finals multiple times.
Interestingly, the WTA Finals have seen their share of unique twists since their inception. From 1984 to 1998, the event adopted a best-of-five-set format (a rarity in women’s tennis that added a distinct layer of endurance and drama to its legacy). In a scheduling anomaly, 1986 even witnessed the WTA Finals being held twice (once in March and again in November) as the tour adjusted its calendar for future editions. The tournament also faced an unexpected hiatus in 2020 when it was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The complete list of the WTA Finals singles and doubles champions year-by-year is as follows:
Year
Singles Winner
Doubles Winner
1972
Chris Evert
–
1973
Chris Evert
Rosemary Casals / Margaret Court
1974
Evonne Goolagong Cawley
Rosemary Casals / Billie Jean King
1975
Chris Evert
Margaret Court / Virginia Wade
1976
Evonne Goolagong Cawley
Billie Jean King / Betty Stove
1977
Chris Evert
Martina Navratilova / Betty Stove
1978
Martina Navratilova
Billie Jean King / Martina Navratilova
1979
Martina Navratilova
Francoise Dürr / Betty Stove
1980
Tracy austin
Billie Jean King / Martina Navratilova
1981
Martina Navratilova
Martina Navratilova / Pam Shriver
1982
Sylvia Hanika
Martina Navratilova / Pam Shriver
1983
Martina Navratilova
Martina Navratilova / Pam Shriver
1984
Martina Navratilova
Martina Navratilova / Pam Shriver
1985
Martina Navratilova
Martina Navratilova / Pam Shriver
1986
Martina Navratilova
Hana Mandlíkova / Wendy Turnbull
1986
Martina Navratilova
Martina Navratilova / Pam Shriver
1987
Steffi Graf
Martina Navratilova / Pam Shriver
1988
Gabriela Sabatini
Larisa Savchenko / Natalia Zvereva
1989
Steffi Graf
Larisa Savchenko / Natalia Zvereva
1990
Monica Seles
Kathy Jordan / Elizabeth Smylie
1991
Monica Seles
Martina Navratilova / Pam Shriver
1992
Monica Seles
Arantxa Sanchez Vicario / Helena Sukova
1993
Steffi Graf
Gigi Fernandez / Natalia Zvereva
1994
Gabriela Sabatini
Gigi Fernandez / Natasha Zvereva
1995
Steffi Graf
Jana Novotna / Arantxa Sanchez Vicario
1996
Steffi Graf
Lindsay Davenport / Mary Joe Fernandez
1997
Jana Novotna
Lindsay Davenport / Jana Novotna
1998
Martina Hingis
Lindsay Davenport / Natasha Zvereva
1999
Lindsay Davenport
Martina Hingis / Anna Kournikova
2000
Martina Hingis
Martina Hingis / Anna Kournikova
2001
Serena Williams
Lisa Raymond / Rennae Stubbs
2002
Kim Clijsters
Elena Dementieva / Janette Husarova
2003
Kim Clijsters
Virginia Ruano Pascual / Paola Suarez
2004
Maria Sharapova
Nadia Petrova / Meghann Shaughnessy
2005
Amelie Mauresmo
Lisa Raymond / Samantha Stosur
2006
Justine Henin
Lisa Raymond / Samantha Stosur
2007
Justine Henin
Cara Black / Liezel Huber
2008
Venus Williams
Cara Black / Liezel Huber
2009
Serena Williams
Nuria Llagostera Vives / María Jose Martínez Sanchez
Legends like Martina Navratilova, Steffi Graf, and Serena Williams stand atop the WTA Finals’ rich history. Navratilova remains the undisputed queen of the event, capturing the title an incredible eight times, while Graf and Williams each lifted the trophy five times. Just behind them, Chris Evert and Monica Seles earned four titles each.
As for the rest of the champions not listed among these legends below, they’ve each triumphed once, joining an elite circle that has won the prestigious year-end tournament.
In doubles, few partnerships have defined dominance quite like Martina Navratilova and Pam Shriver. Navratilova stands unmatched with a staggering 13 WTA Finals doubles titles (spanning 1977 to 1991), while her longtime partner Shriver follows closely with 10, underlining the pair’s unrivaled legacy across the 1980s.
Billie Jean King and Lisa Raymond each claimed four titles, bridging eras of excellence. A cluster of champions, including Betty Stove, Natasha Zvereva, Lindsay Davenport, Liezel Huber, Cara Black, Martina Hingis, and Tímea Babos, all secured three titles each, underscoring the event’s generational depth and evolving duos.
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I’m an academic turned sports writer from Raipur, India, specializing in the NFL, MMA, and tennis at The Playoffs. I previously wrote for Sportskeeda and hold a B.A. and M.A. in History. My journey into sports media began far from the field, rooted in the arts and sciences. Funny enough, I didn’t grow up a sports fan; I used to see it all as just noise. But a fateful writing job introduced me to the world of sports, and what began as a gig quickly became a passion. I understood those voices aren’t noise; they’re emotions of true sports fans, and now I am one of them, writing with the same energy I once questioned.
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