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The Tallest Female Tennis Players of All Time [2024]

Tennis players who are tall have an advantage over their competitors. This is a challenging question to answer. Here are the top 10 tallest female tennis players in history.

Tennis is a sport that requires athleticism, speed, agility, and height can often be an advantage. While there are many tall male tennis players, there are also some incredibly tall female players who have made their mark on the sport.

In this article, we’ll take a closer look at some of the tallest female tennis players in history and explore how their height has affected their playing style and success on the court. From the legendary 6’2″ Serena Williams to the towering 6’9″ Kristyna Pliskova, these women have proven that size can be a formidable weapon in the game of tennis.

The Importance of Height in Tennis

Reach and Power

Taller players tend to have a longer wingspan, which allows them to reach balls that other players might struggle to get to. This can be especially advantageous on the baseline, where taller players can often cover more ground with fewer steps. Additionally, a taller player’s height allows them to generate more power on their groundstrokes, as they can hit the ball at a higher point and create steeper angles.

Serve Advantage

One of the most significant benefits of being tall in tennis is the advantage it provides on the serve. Taller players can generate more power and spin on their serves, making it more challenging for their opponents to return the ball. Additionally, the higher contact point allows for a steeper angle of trajectory, resulting in a more effective serve.

Top 13 Tallest Female tennis players of all time

Tennis is a sport where height can often be an advantage, and female players are no exception. Here are some of the tallest female tennis players in history:

1. Kristyna Pliskova – 6’1″ [186 cm]

Kristyna Pliskova

Kristyna Pliskova is currently the tallest female tennis player in the world. She is known for her powerful serve and has reached a career-high ranking of world No. 35.

2. Eva Hrdinova – 6’3″ [190 cm]

Eva Hrdinova

Eva Hrdinova is a retired Czech tennis player who was known for her strong serve and aggressive playing style. She reached a career-high ranking of world No. 100 in singles and No. 70 in doubles.

3. Lindsay Davenport – 6’2″ [188 cm]

Lindsay Davenport

Lindsay Davenport is a former American tennis player who was known for her powerful groundstrokes and net game. She won three Grand Slam singles titles and reached the world’s No. 1 ranking.

4. Maria Sharapova – 6’2″ [188 cm]

Maria Sharapova

Maria Sharapova is a retired Russian tennis player who was known for her aggressive baseline game and powerful serve. She won five Grand Slam singles titles and reached the world’s No. 1 ranking.

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5. Karolina Pliskova – 6’1″ [185 cm]

Karolina Pliskova

Karolina Pliskova is a Czech tennis player who is known for her strong serve and aggressive playing style. She has reached a career-high ranking of world No. 1 and has won 16 WTA singles titles.

6. Venus Williams – 6’1″ [185 cm]

Venus Williams

Venus Williams is a former American tennis player who was known for her powerful serve and aggressive playing style. She won seven Grand Slam singles titles and reached the world’s No. 1 ranking.

7. Serena Williams – 6’1″ [185 cm]

Serena Williams

Serena Williams is a former American tennis player who is considered one of the greatest players of all time. She won 23 Grand Slam singles titles and held the world No. 1 ranking for a total of 319 weeks.

8. Caroline Wozniacki – [5’10”]

Caroline Wozniacki

According to the list of Top 10 Tallest Female Tennis Players, Carline ranks #8. Despite his young age, this Danish star will be here for a long time. Her height is 1.79 meters, which makes her almost a towering figure.

In addition to being a world number one player on the world-famous WTA circuit, Caroline has had an incredible career as a tennis player. Aside from her impressive work record, she managed to hold this position for 67 weeks.

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9. Elena Dementieva – [5’11”]

Elena Dementieva

Born in 1981, Elena Dementieva grew up in Moscow. There is nothing that can compare to the beauty of this Russian tennis prodigy. She is no mere elegance, though, even if you count the gold medal she won at the 2008 Olympics in Beijing. Compared to her Olympic Silver medal performance in Sydney in 2000, that was just a marginal gain.

One encounter can be enough to defeat her enemies. This chart of the Top 10 Tallest Female Tennis Players of All Time places her at number 9 because of her incredible height of 5′ 11″. 

10. Nicole Vaidisova – [6′]

Nicole Vaidisova

It is not just his height that makes this Czech professional tennis player so attractive, he is also incredibly attractive. As the 7th tallest female tennis player on this list of the Top 10 Tallest Female Tennis Players, Nicole Vaidisova might also be among the top 10 most beautiful tennis players of all time.

2010, she has been playing sports again after retiring from them in 2010.

11. Ana Ivanovic – [6’½”]

Ana Ivanovic

The sixth tallest female tennis player in the world, Ana Ivanovic, has demonstrated that she is more than just a shadow cast by Djokovic’s immense talent. An exceptional star with a height of 1.84 m and a stunning smile, she is adored all over the world.

It is impressive how tenacious and determined she is at such a young age. In addition to her playing, she has a stunning face and sexy long legs that make it hard not to love her. The eye-catching looks and mind-blowing abilities that make her famous are what make us adore her.

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12. Dinara Mikhailovna Safina – [6’1″]

Dinara Mikhailovna Safina

According to the Top 10 Tallest Female Tennis Players of All Time list, Dinara Safina is ranked 12th. Our chart continues with another Russian beauty. A former Russian No. 1 tennis player, Dinara Safina was also a former world champion.

In addition to her impressive height of 1.88 meters and her particular genius at the French Open, this large and graceful beauty captured many hearts.

13. Akgul Amanmuradova – [6’3″]

Akgul Amanmuradova

Even though Akgul Amanmuradova is the same height as Eva Hrdinova, she is ranked 13th among the Top 10 Tallest Female Tennis Players list. Her athletic abilities and unbreakable willpower are not the reason for this. Her height is the tallest among senior female tennis players on the WTA tour.

At 6 foot 3 inches tall, Akgul Amanmuradova is Uzbekistan’s tallest athlete. It is not only that she is a towering tennis star, but she is also one of the best professionals in the world.

What Tall Women’s Tennis Players Are the Most Successful?

In order to determine the most successful female tennis players from the previous list, we will take the top 10 shortest female tennis players and arrange them in order of success.

What Tall Female Tennis Players Have the Highest Career Ranking?

PlayerCountryUS sizeEU sizeHighest ATP Ranking
Lindsay DavenportUnited States6’2″1.89m1
Maria SharapovaRussia6’2″1.88m1
Karolína PlíškováCzech Republic6’2″1.87m1
Venus WilliamsUnited States6’1″1.85m1

Lindsay Davenport

Among the most successful American tennis players, Lindsay Davenport is at the top of her game. When she won the US Open and reached the semi-finals of the French Open in 1998, she became the world’s number one tennis player.

The top position was held by Lindsay for 98 weeks and she was the world’s number one four times.

Maria Sharapova

Outside of the tennis world, Maria is a well-known figure. Despite being the first Asian to reach the top of the world rankings, the stunning Russian lady made history in 2005 as the first Asian to remain at the top of the rankings for an extended period of time.

In total, Maria remained at the top of the charts for just 21 weeks, which isn’t that impressive, but still a history-making feat considering she has been in the Top 10 for a long time.

Karolína Plíšková

Tennis women in the Czech Republic may have been unlucky in recent years. As the world’s number-one tennis player in 2017, she stayed there for eight weeks. Although she hasn’t won a Grand Slam, she is one of the few world’s top players without a title.

Venus Williams

Her height and age make her one of the most infamous Williams sisters. Her stellar tennis career included multiple Slams and 11 weeks as the number one player in the world, mainly in 2002 after dislodging Jennifer Capriati.

As a result of Venus’s success, she became the first African-American woman to be ranked at the top of the WTA rankings.

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What Short Female Tennis Players Have Won the Most Titles?

PlayerCountryUS sizeEU sizeSingles TitlesDoubles TitlesGrand Slams
Lindsay DavenportUnited States6’2″1.89m55383 Singles 3 Doubles
Venus WilliamsUnited States6’1″1.85m49227 Singles 14 Doubles
Maria SharapovaRussia6’2″1.88m3635 Singles
Karolína PlíškováCzech Republic 6’2″1.87m1650

Millions of tennis fans around the world worshiped Lindsay Davenport and Venus Williams. Even in the most prestigious tournaments such as Grand Slams and Masters, they have won titles left and right.

With 55 singles titles and 38 doubles titles, Lindsay holds the most WTA titles.

Despite not having Serena’s numbers, Venus Williams won 7 Grand Slams in Singles, including 5 at Wimbledon. In addition to her fast serving and powerful groundstrokes, her height also contributes to her fast and powerful serving.

As well as winning 14 Grand Slams, Venus also excelled in Doubles.

A superb performer in the Singles, Maria Sharapova won 36 titles and 5 Grand Slams. In addition, she is the only one on the list to have won all four of the Grand Slams.

The Czech Republic’s Karolina Pliskova has a bad luck record when it comes to big titles. In singles, she has 16 WTA titles, and she has reached two Grand Slam finals, but both have been lost.

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What Tall Female Tennis Players Have Won the Most Prize Money?

As a matter of fact, tennis has become a much better paying sport over the years. As an example:

  • $350,000 was the prize money for the winner of the US Open 1990.
  • The winner in 2000 received $800,000.
  • The winner in 2010 received $1.7 million.
  • Before taxes, the winner in 2021 earned $2.5 million.

Just in 30 years, the prize money has increased by 714%! A similar story played out for the Masters 1000, 500, 250, and 500 tournaments as well. The sport of tennis has become increasingly lucrative over the years.

Let’s just go with the official rankings since they are relatively unaffected by bias.

PlayerCountryUS sizeEU sizePrize Money
Venus WilliamsUnited States6’1″1.85m$42 173 992
Maria SharapovaRussia6’2″1.88m$38 777 962
Karolína PlíškováCzech Republic 6’2″1.87m$23 518 355

There has been a successful period of tennis in which Venus Williams won the most titles and Grand Slams. It makes sense that she has the highest prize money in her career.

Advantages of Height in Tennis

The advantages of height in tennis are significant. Taller players have longer limbs, making it easier to reach shots that shorter players would struggle to get. They also have a higher point of contact when serving, which can result in more powerful and accurate serves.

Additionally, taller players can generate more force when hitting the ball, making their shots more difficult to return. Their height can also intimidate opponents, giving them a psychological advantage.

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Challenges of Height in Tennis

While height can be an advantage in tennis, it can also pose certain challenges. Taller players may struggle with mobility and agility, making it harder to cover the court and move quickly to the ball. They may also be more susceptible to injuries, such as knee and back problems, due to the strain on their joints.

Another challenge for taller players is finding appropriate equipment. Rackets and shoes designed for shorter players may not provide the necessary support and comfort for taller players.

Impact on the Game

The impact of the tallest female tennis players on the game has been significant. Their height has added a new dimension to the sport, with more players now focusing on building their height and strength to gain an advantage on the court.

Additionally, the success of the tallest female tennis players has inspired younger generations of players to pursue the sport and strive for greatness. They have become role models for aspiring players who may not fit the traditional mold of a tennis player.

https://youtu.be/ZXgqTGeKUAo

FAQs

Who is the tallest female tennis player of all time?

Akgul Charievna Amanmuradova, a former professional tennis player from Uzbekistan. At 1.90 metres in height, she is the tallest female tennis players in history

Is being tall helpful to succeed in the sport?

Yes, being tall has generally been an advantage for the tallest female tennis players, as it allows them to hit powerful shots and reach difficult shots that shorter players may struggle with.

What are the challenges of being a tall female tennis player?

Taller players may struggle with mobility and agility, be more susceptible to injuries, and may have difficulty finding appropriate equipment.

Final Thoughts

The tallest female tennis players have made a significant impact on the sport, using their height to gain an advantage on the court. While height has its advantages, it also poses certain challenges that players must overcome.

Regardless, the success of these players has inspired younger generations and added a new dimension to the sport.

Also, check Shortest Women’s Tennis Players

David Harris

David is the founder and chief writer at Tennis Pursuits. A tennis fanatic, David has extensive experience of the game and has reviewed 100s of products to date. He is passionate about helping others on their tennis journey.

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