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Players with most Grand Slam semi-final appearances in Open Era

The compilation of the Open Era's list for the highest number of Grand Slam semi-final appearances reaches an impressive total of 232, accomplished by five tennis players. The greatness and grandeur of these achievements are to be noted and celebrated by tennis fans globally.

In this article, let’s look at the five players with most semi-final appearances in the open era.

5. Serena Williams (40)

Serena Williams - Players with most Grand Slam semi-final appearances in Open Era
Serena Williams (Credits - Tennis.com)

The legendary American, Serena Williams, exhibited unparalleled dominance over the past twenty years before her retirement last year. She achieved the World No. 1 ranking in singles for a remarkable total of 319 weeks, which includes a shared record of 186 consecutive weeks, and concluded the year as the top-ranked player five times.

In her 40 appearances in Grand Slam semi-finals, she secured 23 Grand Slam singles titles, which is the highest number in the Open Era and the second highest overall in history. She is the sole player to have achieved a Career Grand Slam in both singles and doubles.

4. Martina Navratilova (44)

Martina Navratilova - Players with most Grand Slam semi-final appearances in Open Era
Martina Navratilova (Credits - Olympics.com)

Martina Navratilova, the former World No. 1 in women's singles from the Czech Republic, is regarded as one of the greatest female tennis players in history. She developed a notable rivalry with Chris Evert, and the two athletes vied for supremacy at the highest level during the 1970s and 1980s. Throughout the Open Era, Navratilova secured 18 major singles titles, 31 women's doubles titles, and 10 mixed doubles titles, culminating in an impressive total of 59 major championships, a record in the sport.

She was ranked as World No. #1 in singles for a total of 332 weeks and for a record 237 weeks in doubles.  This made her the sole player in the history of tennis to have maintained the leading rank in both categories for more than 200 weeks. Her status among the legends of the sport is further enhanced by her 44 semi-final appearances, which seem almost secondary in the context of her extraordinary career.

3. Roger Federer (46)

Roger Federer - Players with most Grand Slam semi-final appearances in Open Era
Roger Federer (Credits - Sky Sports)

The legendary Swiss tennis player, Roger Federer,  makes it to the second spot with 46 semi-final appearances throughout his illustrious career, which includes 20 major men's Grand Slam titles. He has held the World No. 2 ranking for a total of 310 weeks and has achieved the remarkable feat of finishing as World No. 1 five times, including an unprecedented 237 weeks as the top seed.

His Grand Slam victories include an Open Era record—a record of eight men’s singles Wimbledon titles and five men’s singles US Open titles.  Between 2003 and 2009, he played in 21 major singles finals over a six-year period. His sole victory at the French Open occurred in 2009, which enabled him to achieve the Career Grand Slam.

2. Novak Djokovic (50)

Novak Djokovic - Players with most Grand Slam semi-final appearances in Open Era
Novak Djokovic (Credits - Australian Open)

Arguably the best men’s singles player in history as deemed by many currently, the Serbian great Novak Djokovic made it to 50 after reaching the semi-finals this year. Currently ranked World No. 7, Djokovic has held the No. 1 position for an unprecedented 428 weeks across 15 different years, and he has concluded the season as World No. 1 at record eight times.

His Grand Slam record encompasses a remarkable total of 24 men's singles titles, which includes victories at 10 Australian Opens, seven Wimbledon Championships, four US Opens, and three Roland Garros tournaments. In total, he has secured 99 singles titles and is poised to compete for his 25th Grand Slam title, as well as his record 11th Australian Open championship.

1. Chris Evert (52)

Chris Evert - Players with most Grand Slam semi-final appearances in Open Era
Chris Evert (Credits - Tennis.com)

Chris Evert, a former World No. 1 in women's singles tennis from the United States, achieved remarkable success during her career, securing 18 major singles Grand Slam titles, including seven French Open and six US Open championships. She maintained her position as World No. 1 for almost 260 weeks at the height of her career, establishing herself as a formidable presence in women's tennis from the 1970s through the 1980s. Chris Evert also has the honour of reaching 34 major finals, which is still the highest in tennis history.

Even more incredible is the fact that 52 of the 56 majors she’s featured in, including a run which stretched from the 1971 US Open through the 1983 French Open, where she reached 34 consecutive finals. Although Nadal has shown exceptional prowess on clay courts, Evert continues to hold the title of the undisputed Queen, boasting an impressive WTA Tour record of 382 wins and 22 losses (95%) on that same surface.

Cover Credits - Tennis.com

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