Tennis is a well-known sport that can either be played by two individuals competing against each other (known as “singles”) or by two teams working together (known as “doubles”). Interestingly, I n 1837, a match of tennis was played for the first time on the lawn.
For a very long time, France has been responsible for producing a significant number of the world’s most talented female tennis players. These French athletes have achieved remarkable success in this sport, serving as a source of motivation for a great number of amateur contestants.
Today you will be looking at the Best French Female Tennis Players Of All Time who are responsible for making France famous for this sport.
1. Caroline Garcia
| Full Name | Caroline Garcia |
| Date of Birth | 16 October 1993 |
| Birth’s Place | Saint-Germain-en-Laye, France |
| Nationality | French |
| Current Age | 29 Years Old |
| Occupation | Tennis Player |
| Residence | Lyon, France |
| Net Worth | $13 Million |
| Height | 1.77 M (5 ft 10 in) |
| Weight | 61 Kg |
| Gender | Female |
The first of the 8 Best French Female Tennis Players Of All Time is Caroline Garcia. She was born on October 16, 1993, in France. She is now ranked fourth in the world for the singles competition, while she is ranked second for the doubles competition. Garcia was victorious in the singles division at the WTA Finals in 2022 and took home the trophy.
She is also a two-time major champion in doubles, besting the women’s doubles championship at the French Open in 2016 and 2022 with her partner Kristina Mladenovic. She also holds significant singles and mixed doubles victories against the finest tennis players of her time.. Additionally, the duo finished in second place at the 2016 US Open and made it all the way to the semifinals at the 2017 Australian Open.
Garcia has won seven doubles wins on the WTA Tour, including the Madrid Open in 2016. She won seven doubles championships altogether and peaked at No. 2 in the world in doubles in October 2016. She has also won the WTA Finals once, which took place in 2022, and she and Mladenovic were named the best doubles team on the WTA tour in 2016. Her other accomplishments include qualifying for the WTA Finals twice.
Additionally, he was the lowest-ranked female player to win a match at Roland Garros against a top-ten opponent since Conchita Martinez defeated Lori McNeil in 1988. He accomplished this distinction by winning the match. As a direct consequence of this, she climbed approximately 80 ranks to enter the top 150 for the very first time in her professional career.
2. Stéphanie Foretz Gacon
| Full Name | Stéphanie Foretz Gacon |
| Date of Birth | 3 May 1981 |
| Birth’s Place | Issy-les-Moulineaux, arrondissement of Boulogne-Billancourt, Hauts-de-Seine, Île-de-France |
| Nationality | French |
| Current Age | 41 Years Old |
| Occupation | Athlete, Tennis Player |
| Residence | Meudon |
| Prize Money | $1,881,212 |
| Net Worth | N/A |
| Height | 166 Cm |
| Weight | 60 Kg |
| Gender | Female |
Holding the number two spot of the 8 Best French Female Tennis Players Of All Time is no other than Stéphanie Foretz. Unfortunately, she is now retired from the sport. Stephanie’s career as a professional tennis player saw her win 9 singles titles and 16 doubles titles on the ITF Women’s circuit over the course of her tennis playing years.
In 1999, she competed in the junior event at the French Open and advanced all the way to the finals of the girl’s division.
The year 2003 marked the year when Stephanie achieved her best singles rating of her career, which was number 62 in the world. She was able to make steady progress and eventually reached a high of number 42 in the doubles ranking in the year 2008.
In addition to that, she was considered for a spot on the Boston Lobsters’ roster for the World TeamTennis pro league in 2009.
She began playing professionally in 1999 and competed in her final match at Roland Garros in 2016, at which point she announced her retirement.
3. Léolia Jeanjean
| Full Name | Léolia Jeanjean |
| Date of Birth | 14 August 1995 |
| Birth’s Place | Montpellier, France |
| Nationality | French |
| Current Age | 26 Years Old |
| Occupation | Tennis Player |
| Residence | N/A |
| Prize Money | $329,198 |
| Net Worth | $1-5 Million Approximately |
| Height | 5”7 Feet |
| Weight | 55 Kg |
| Gender | Female |
After being granted a wildcard for the singles competition at the 2022 French Open, Jeanjean participated in the main draw of a Grand Slam for the first time. Leolia holds the number three spot among the 8 Best French Female Tennis Players Of All Time.
In the first round of the Grand Slam tournament, she defeated the world No. 45, Nuria Párrizas Dáz, to get her first victory.
She went on to win her first-ever match against a player ranked in the top 10 with a 6-2, 6-2 triumph over the eighth seed and former world No. 1 Karolina Plková in the second round. This was her second win over a player ranked in the top 50.
After No. 409 Daria Saville’s victory over Ons Jabeur in Indian Wells and No. 231 Laura Siegemund’s victory (via retirement) over Maria Sakkari in Stuttgart, she became the third-lowest ranked player to defeat a top-ten opponent in the season. She was ranked No. 227 and became the third-lowest-ranked player to defeat a top-ten opponent in the season.
4. Kristina Mladenovic
| Full Name | Kristina Mladenovic |
| Nickname | Kiki |
| Date of Birth | May 14, 1993 |
| Birth’s Place | Saint-Pol-sur-Mer, France |
| Nationality | French |
| Current Age | 29 Years Old |
| Occupation | Athlete, Tennis Player |
| Residence | Dubai, UAE |
| Net Worth | $5 Million |
| Height | 6 ft |
| Weight | 60 Kg |
| Gender | Female |
Tennis has been a lifelong passion for Kristina Mladenovic, a French professional player who began her career at a young age. During her time on the WTA Tour, she has won one singles title and multiple doubles trophies.
In addition, Kristina has won seven doubles titles and four singles wins on the ITF women’s circuit. Her singles victories include the 2014 Wimbledon Championships, the 2016 US Open, the 2018 US Open, and the 2019 Australian Open.
Tennis-wise, she reached her pinnacle in 2017, when she was ranked 10th in the world by the WTA in the singles competition. After another year had passed, in 2019, she had risen to the top spot in the WTA doubles rankings.
These victories on the court were not all of her achievements there.
She has competed well in singles, reaching the quarterfinals of two Grand Slam tournaments (the US Open in 2015 and the French Open in 2017), among other achievements.
It would appear that her doubles tennis competitions are more conducive to her on-court success. She was victorious in the women’s and mixed doubles competitions at Wimbledon in 2013, the Australian Open in 2014, the French Open in 2016, the doubles competitions at the Australian Open in 2018, the French Open in 2019, and the Australian Open in 2020.
5. Suzanne Lenglen
| Full Name | Suzanne Lenglen |
| Date of Birth | May 24, 1899 |
| Birth’s Place | Paris, France |
| Nationality | French |
| Death | July 4, 1938 (At 39 Years Old) |
| Occupation | Tennis Player |
| Residence | N/A |
| Net Worth | $5 Million (Approximately) |
| Height | 5 ft 5 Inch |
| Weight | N/A |
| Gender | Female |
Suzanne Rachel Flore Lenglen was a French tennis player. She was born on May 24, 1899, and passed away on July 4, 1938. She held the position of world No. 1 for the first time ever from 1921 to 1926, during which time she won eight Grand Slam titles in singles competition and twenty-one overall. In addition to that, she won the World Hard Court Championship in the singles competition a total of eleven times.
Lenglen was victorious in the singles competition at Wimbledon on six separate occasions, including a run of five consecutive victories from 1919 to 1923. Additionally, he won the singles, doubles, and mixed doubles competitions at the first two open French Championships in 1925 and 1926.
In doubles competition, she and her regular partner Elizabeth Ryan went unbeaten, winning a total of six titles at Wimbledon alone. Her success was emphasized by this achievement. Lenglen was the first prominent amateur player to turn professional. In the series The 100 Greatest Players of All Time, she was recognized as the best woman’s tennis player who competed during the amateur era.
6. Francoise Adine Masson
| Full Name | Francoise Adine Masson |
| Date of Birth | Not Known |
| Birth’s Place | France |
| Nationality | French |
| Current Age | N/A |
| Occupation | Tennis Player |
| Residence | N/A |
| Net Worth | N/A |
| Height | N/A |
| Weight | N/A |
| Gender | Female |
After the turn of the century and into the early 20th, Francoise Adine was a professional tennis player. She defeated Girod in the finals of the French Tennis Championship in 1897 with a score of 6–3, 6–1 to become the tournament’s first-ever winner. After this, he went on to triumph in the championships that were held in the years 1898, 1899, 1902, and 1903.
Hence, it is not so surprising that Adine holds the 6th position of the 8 Best French Female Tennis Players Of All Time.
She made it all the way to the finals of the championships in 1904, but Kate Guillou ended up beating her.
Additionally, Adine Masson participated in international competitions and played for France in every match she played in.
Her most recent victory came at the Roland Garros Women’s Championships in 1902 and 1903, which she competed in while she was still an active player.
7. Aravane Rezaï
| Full Name | Arvane Rezai |
| Date of Birth | March 14, 1987 |
| Birth’s Place | Saint-Etienne |
| Nationality | French |
| Current Age | 32 Years Old |
| Occupation | Tennis Player |
| Residence | Neuchatel, Switzerland |
| Net Worth | $1-5 Million Approx |
| Height | 165 Cm |
| Weight | 62 Kg |
| Gender | Female |
Aravane is the daughter of Arsalan, who worked as a mechanic, and Machine, who worked as a physiotherapist. Aravane herself is the daughter of Machine. When she was 8 years old, she started learning how to play tennis.
Her older brother, who is also a tennis teacher, taught her how to play the game, and she performs best on courts with hard surfaces.
During the Muslim Women’s Olympic Games, which were held in Iran, Aravane won two of the available gold medals in tennis. As a tennis player, she cites Steffi Graf and Andre Agassi as her primary sources of motivation.
She is an Iranian-French tennis player with the goal of becoming the best female tennis player in the world.
Aravane has competed against some of the most well-known names in women’s tennis, including Justine Henin, Venus Williams, Victoria Azarenka, Maria Sharapova, Dinara Safina, Francesca Schiavone, Caroline Wozniacki, Marion Bartoli, Flavia Pennetta, Jelena Jankovic, and Ai Sugiyama. She has also faced off against Dinara Safina, and Francesca Schiavone, and It’s incredible that she was able to defeat them in the WTA tour competition.
In 2010, Rezai was regarded as one of the top 15 best tennis players in the world. She may have a gentle demeanor, but she is a fierce competitor on the court. Rezai is not only skilled on the court, but she also possesses a diverse set of linguistic abilities; she is fluent in French, Persian, and English.
Kate Guillou
During her active tennis career, former French female tennis player Kate Gillou won multiple international trophies, in addition to four French crowns. Kate Guillou was from France. She competed in the amateur division of the French Open and won all of her trophies there.
Suzanne Lenglen also reached the final of the famous French open in 1903, but Adine Masson overcame her to claim the title. Kate Guillou won the tournament in 1904, 1905, 1906, and 1908.
Under her married name, Kate Guillou -Fenwick, she has won the French Open for the past two years in a row. In addition to her open championships, she was a participant in the 1900 Summer Olympics.
8. Jeanne Matthey
| Full Name | Jeanne Matthey |
| Date of Birth | 25 January 1886 |
| Birth’s Place | Alexandria, Egypt |
| Nationality | Egyptian |
| Death | 24 November 1986 |
| Occupation | Tennis Player |
| Residence | N/A |
| Net Worth | N/A |
| Height | N/A |
| Weight | N/A |
| Gender | Female |
Last but not least, Jeanne Matthey, who is at the number eight spot of the 8 Best French Female Tennis Players Of All Time. She won multiple international trophies as well as four titles in her home country throughout her active tennis career.
She competed in the amateur division of the French Open and won all four of her titles, earning her a slot in the seventh position in our list of the 10 most successful female tennis players in the history of the French Open.
Jeanne Matthey was the first woman to win the prestigious French open tournament four years in a row, doing so in 1909, 1910, 1911, and 1912. During World War II, Jeanne Matthey participated actively in the resistance movement and was imprisoned in detention camps.
In addition to her accomplishments on the tennis court, she was honored with the Legion of Honor in 1927 for her work as a nurse.
Wrapping Up
These female tennis players are more than capable of competing on an equal level with their male counterparts. They have disproved a wide variety of myths about athletic ability, physical strength, speed, agility, power, and so on that are associated with women, and they have established astounding records.
It is anticipated that they will replicate their predecessors’ efforts and produce even more iconic moments in the sport of tennis.
Nonetheless, we hope that you enjoyed the content we provided and possibly have a better understanding of the Best French Female Tennis Players Of All Time.
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