Oldest winner of a Grand Slam tennis title

Martina Navratilova (USA, b. Czechoslovakia, 18 October 1956) was aged 49 years 326 days when she secured the last of her 59 Grand Slam titles, teaming up with Bob Bryan to win the US Open mixed doubles on 9 September 2006. It was her 41st doubles title since June 1974 – the most Grand Slam doubles titles won. Navratilova retired from competitive tennis after the Flushing Meadows (New York) final, having won her 2,189th career match and her 177th career doubles title – both unrivalled in the open era.

Navratilova won at least one singles (S), women’s doubles (WD) and mixed doubles (XD) crown at each Grand Slam. She claimed 12 titles at the Australian Open (3 S, 8 WD, 1 XD), 11 at the French Open (2 S, 7 WD, 2 XD), 20 at Wimbledon (9 S, 7 WD, 4 XD) and 16 at the US Open (4 S, 9 WD, 3 XD).

The left-hander’s mixed doubles success at the 2006 US Open took her one Grand Slam doubles title clear of Margaret Court, who won 40 tournaments (19 women’s doubles, 21 mixed doubles) between 1961 and 1975.

Navratilova is no stranger to ‘oldest’ records, having won the mixed doubles at Wimbledon on 6 July 2003 (with Leander Paes) at the age of 46 years 261 days, making her the oldest main-draw Wimbledon champion in history.

The American closed out her career with 167 singles and 177 doubles titles, 2,189 match wins (singles and doubles combined) and 237 weeks ranked No.1 in doubles – all records in the open era (since 1968) for a man or a woman. With her 332-week reign at No.1 in singles, she is the only player in history to be ranked No.1 in both singles and doubles for over 200 weeks.