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Top five players with most Grand Slam final appearances without title in Open Era

In the realm of tennis, achieving a Grand Slam title is the hallmark of greatness. Several players, including Andy Murray, experienced significant disappointment prior to achieving success; specifically, his losses in the Australian Open finals of 2010 and 2011 led many supporters to wonder if he would ever surmount this obstacle.

But it was resilience that defined his journey: Murray silenced his critics by winning the US Open title in 2012, demonstrating that determination ultimately yields results. However, for certain players, despite remarkable performances leading them to the finals, the coveted Grand Slam victory continues to elude them. 

In this article, let’s see the top five players who have reached the Grand Slam finals the most times without achieving a title in the Open Era. 

5. Robin Söderling (2 finals)

Robin Soderling - Top five players with most Grand Slam final appearances without title in Open Era
Robin Söderling (Credits - Tennis.com)

Robin Söderling may not have won a title, yet the Swede's assertive playing style propelled him to two successive finals at the French Open in 2009 and 2010. His performance in 2009 was remarkable, highlighted by his triumph over Rafael Nadal, which concluded the Spaniard's impressive 31-match winning streak at Roland Garros.

In his maiden final, the Swedish player encountered Roger Federer, suffering a defeat in straight sets. However, a year later, he managed to turn the tables on Federer, winning their match as he advanced to another final. Unfortunately, he was defeated once more, this time by another member of the Big Three, Rafael Nadal.

4. Jasmine Paolini (2 finals)

Jasmine Paolini - Top five players with most Grand Slam final appearances without title in Open Era
Jasmine Paolini (Credits - Tennis.com)

Fourth on our list is Jasmine Paolini, whose remarkable performance in 2024 led her to consecutive Grand Slam finals. The Italian initially triumphed over Elena Rybakina and Bianca Andreescu, making history as the first Italian woman in many years to advance to the Roland Garros final at the French Open. She also had a significant achievement at Wimbledon, where she defeated four Grand Slam champions on her path to the finals.

3. Alexander Zverev (3 finals)

Alexander Zverev - Top five players with most Grand Slam final appearances without title in Open Era
Alexander Zverev (Credits - India Today)

Alexander Zverev experienced yet another disappointment, as he was unable to win in the Australian Open final, marking his third defeat in a Grand Slam final. Competing at Melbourne Park, Zverev faced the reigning champion Jannik Sinner, with a favorable head-to-head record of 4-2 against the Italian. However, the match turned out to be one of the most one-sided finals, with Sinner decisively defeating Zverev in a mere two hours and 42 minutes, with scores of 6-3, 7-6(4), 6-3.

For Zverev, this may have been a chance to get that Murray touch of breaking heartbreak since this journey began at the 2020 US Open, where he lost in the final-set tiebreaker after holding a two-set lead over Dominic Thiem.

In 2024, German delivered an impressive performance on clay as he advanced to his first French Open final, overcoming both Rafael Nadal and Casper Ruud during the tournament. Regrettably, a contentious decision in the final match against Carlos Alcaraz disrupted his momentum, resulting in a poignant defeat.

2. Ons Jabeur (3 finals)

Ons Jabeur – Top five players with most Grand Slam final appearances without title in Open Era
Ons Jabeur (Credits - Tennis.com)

Ons Jabeur has put Arab and North African tennis on the Grand Slam map, becoming the first Arab and North African female player to compete in a Grand Slam final. Her performances in the 2022 Wimbledon and US Open finals demonstrated her exceptional skill and poise while facing some of the most formidable competitors in the sport.

Jabeur indeed finished as the runner-up, yet she always remembered her journeys as the last woman standing, particularly during her defeats to Elena Rybakina and Iga Swiątek in those finals. The subsequent year, her exceptional talent led her once more to the Wimbledon final, where she triumphed over top contenders such as Aryna Sabalenka and Elena Rybakina. However, her aspirations were once again thwarted by Markéta Vondrousova.

1. Dinara Safina (3 finals)

Dinara Safina - Top five players with most Grand Slam final appearances without title in Open Era
Dinara Safina (Credits - Sky Sports)

For Dinara Safina, the absence of a Grand Slam title may be a difficult reality to accept, especially considering her remarkable talent that led her to three Grand Slam finals over two seasons. She announced herself as a major contender at the 2008 French Open, upsetting top-seeded Maria Sharapova en route to her maiden final, only to lose to Ana Ivanovic.

In 2009, Safina advanced to the finals of both the Australian Open and the French Open, where she faced dominant foes in Serena Williams and Svetlana Kuznetsova. Despite her ascent to the world No. 1 ranking as a powerful baseliner, she could never taste Grand Slam glory!

Cover Credits - Australian Open

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