Who Has Won The Most Wimbledon Titles?

Last Updated on June 27, 2023

Wimbledon is a significant tennis tournament held in London, at the All England Club. It’s one of the four major Grand Slam events in tennis and has the honor of being the world’s oldest tennis competition, first held 145 years ago in 1877. At that time, only men could compete in singles.

However, the tournament expanded over the years. By 1884, Wimbledon included both the Ladies Singles and Gentlemen Doubles. By 1913, Ladies Doubles and Mixed Doubles were also included. Spencer Gore was the champion of the inaugural Wimbledon tournament. Until 1968, only amateur players could participate, with professionals being allowed from the start of the Open Era.

Wimbledon had to take breaks during World War I from 1915 to 1918, World War II from 1940 to 1945, and most recently in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Despite its long history, Wimbledon has seen many changes and improvements. However, certain elements have remained consistent, such as its location at the All England Club and its distinctive grass playing surface. This makes Wimbledon the only Grand Slam tournament still played on grass.

Most Singles Titles At Wimbledon

Wimbledon introduced its ladies singles in the year 1988 and since then there has been a myriad of champions with several ladies lifting the prestigious title more than once. Let us review the top five leading ladies of the Open Era.

Most Woman’s Singles Titles At Wimbledon

5. Billie Jean King (4 Titles)

 Billie Jean King came into the 1968 Wimbledon Championship as the two-time defending Champion. Wimbledon had become open to professionals that year but Billie Jean was successful in her bid to defend her Wimbledon crown.

It would be four years before Billie Jean would win her next Wimbledon title. She had lost twice in the final in 1969 and 1970 but prevailed against first seed and defending Champion Evonne Goolagong in 1972 final.

 Further successes at the Wimbledon Championship in 1973 and 1975 followed for Billie Jean. This brought her Wimbledon titles for the Open Era to four.

4. Venus Williams ( 5 Titles)

American tennis player Venus Williams first achieved Wimbledon success in 2000.

Williams tore through to the 2000 Wimbledon ladies singles title dropping just one set throughout.

She was 20 years old and it was her first Grand Slam title.

At the 2001 Wimbledon Championship, defending Champion, Venus Williams was successful in defending her crown.

It would be four years before Venus Williams was able to retake Wimbledon. She was seeded 14th for the 2005 Wimbledon Championship and defeated 2nd seed Maria Sharapova in the Semifinals and 1st seed Lindsay Davenport in the Final. It was her first Grand Slam title since 2001.

Venus Williams won the 2007 Wimbledon title seeded 23rd. This makes her the lowest-seeded lady to win at Wimbledon.

Venus Williams’s fifth Wimbledon Crown came at the 2008 edition. She did not drop a set throughout the tournament defeating her sister Serena in the final.

3. Serena Williams(7 titles)

There are fourteen years between Serena Williams’s last Wimbledon title(2016) and her first (2002). Serena has had success at Wimbledon in 2002,2003, 2009,2010, 2012, 2015, and 2016. Serena’s success at Wimbledon has come in braces, she wins the title and defends it successfully the next year except for  2012. She failed to follow up on her 2012 success, losing in the fourth round of the 2013 Wimbledon Ladies singles.

2. Steffi Graf(7 titles)

Steffi  Graf’s first Wimbledon Ladies single title was achieved when she defeated six-time defending Champion Martina Navratilova in the final of the 1988 Wimbledon. Graf did not drop a set until the final match of the competition. Graf would go on to attain success at Wimbledon six more times.

1. Martina Navratilova(9 titles)

Martina Navratilova won her first Wimbledon title in 1978. It was also her first singles Grand Slam title. She would successfully defend her title in 1979.

After a brief gap, Navratilova would win six straight Wimbledon singles titles from 1982 to 1987.

Navratilova would win her last Wimbledon in 1990 bringing her Wimbledon singles titles to nine, an Open Era record.

Also Read:

• How Many Courts Are There At Wimbledon?
• 10 Best Places to Stay Near Wimbledon
• The 10 Oldest Grand Slam Winners
• 10 The Youngest Grand Slam Winners
• Roger Federer’s Grand Slam Titles

Most women’s Wimbledon titles: Open Era top 10

Most women’s Wimbledon titles: All-time top 10

Most Men’s Singles Titles At Wimbledon

There have been Fifty-three editions of The Wimbledon Championship in the Open Era and Twenty-One men’s singles champions. We will review the top five leading Wimbledon Gentlemen.

5. Rod Laver (4)

Australian Rodney George Laver won the first Wimbledon Gentlemen’s single title of the Open Era in 1968. Laver would successfully defend his title at the 1969 Wimbledon Championship. Laver’s 1969 Wimbledon triumph was part of a calendar year Grand Slam he won that year.

4. Bjorn Borg (5)

 Swede Bjorn Borg seeded fourth at the 1976 Wimbledon Championship cruised to the title without dropping a set. The title was Borg’s third Grand Slam title, he was fresh off the Successful defense of his French Open title.

Borg would successfully defend his Wimbledon crown for four straight years. He would narrowly miss out on his sixth crown when he lost the 1981 Wimbledon final to John McEnroe

Borg was the first male player in the Open Era to achieve five Wimbledon crowns.

3. Novak Djokovic (7)

 Novak Djokovic won his first Wimbledon crown at the 2011 Wimbledon Championship. His victory meant it was the first time a player not named Roger Federer or Rafael Nadal had won the Wimbledon Men’s singles title since 2002. Djokovic’s success at this tournament propelled him to the World No.1 ranking. Djokovic has since then won the Wimbledon crown five more times taking his total to seven. He is the reigning Wimbledon Champion.

2. Pete Sampras (7)

American Pete Sampras won the Wimbledon men’s singles crown seven times in eight years between the years 1993 and 2000. The only hiatus in his eight-year spree came when he lost in the quarter-finals of the 1996 edition to eventual champion Richard Krajicek.

1. Roger Federer (8)

 The Wimbledon Championship is Roger Federer’s favorite hunting ground. He won five straight titles from 2003 – 2007. His first Wimbledon title was his first Grand Slam title.

Federer has won 8 titles at the Wimbledon with 14 years between his first and last titles (2003 – 2017).

Most men’s Wimbledon titles: Open Era top 10

Most men’s Wimbledon titles: All-time top 10

Who Has Won The Most Consecutive Wimbledon Titles?

The successful defense of a Wimbledon crown is no easy feat with some players bringing their very best to Wimbledon in search of glory.

Bjorn Borg – 5 Consecutive Titles

Swede Bjorn Borg stormed to five men’s singles titles in a row at the All England club from the year 1976 to 1980.

Borg won his first title in 1976 without dropping a set.

His second title in 1977 was won through sheer grit as he had to play five-set matches three times in the tournament winning the final against Jim Connors.

The 1978 Wimbledon men’s singles final was a repeat of the 1977 version with Borg playing Connors and emerging victorious. The 1979 Wimbledon final saw Borg go behind twice but he maintained his composure to defeat American Roscoe Tanner in five sets and claim his fourth straight Wimbledon title.

The 1980 Wimbledon final was yet another five-set match, this time against John McEnroe with Bjorn Borg winning his fifth and final Wimbledon crown.

Borg would try for a sixth successive Wimbledon Crown but would fall at the last hurdle losing the 1981 Wimbledon final to the previous year’s runner-up John McEnroe.

Roger Federer – 5 Consecutive Titles

Swiss Maestro Roger Federer won five straight Wimbledon crowns from  the year 2003 – 2007.

Federer’s first Wimbledon crown happened to be his first Grand Slam title.

In the year 2004, Federer won three of the four Grand Slams including a successful defense of his Wimbledon crown.

He would go on to achieve dominance at Wimbledon for the next three years winning five straight titles.

Martina Navratilova – 6 Consecutive Titles

Martina Navratilova won nine Wimbledon Ladies singles titles.

Navratilova won two successive titles in 1978 and 1979, relinquished the crown a bit, then returned to win six successive titles from 1982 – 1987.

Navratilova won her ninth and final Wimbledon Ladies singles title in 1990.

Players With Most Wimbledon Titles Including Doubles

Now a review of the players with the most cumulative titles in all the five major events played at Wimbledon.

The Gentleman with the Most Wimbledon Titles

Todd Andrew Woodbridge of Australia has the most Open Era Wimbledon titles of all Gentlemen Competitors. Woodbridge has amassed an impressive ten titles over the years.

He won one title with compatriot Alicia Molik in the 2004 Wimbledon mixed doubles.

Nine of Woodbridge’s titles have come in the Men’s doubles. Woodbridge and longtime doubles partner Mark Woodforde(nicknamed “The Woodies”) won six titles between the years 1993 and 2000. Five of their six titles were won consecutively from 1993-1997. Their final success came in 2000.

After Woodforde retired from the tour in 2000, Woodbridge established a partnership with Swede Jonas Björkman. Woodbridge and Björkman won 3 successive Wimbledon doubles Championship from 2002 – 2004.

Woodbridge would announce his retirement from the tennis circuit at the 2005 Wimbledon Championship.

Lady with the Most Wimbledon titles

Martina Navratilova is the most successful Open Era Wimbledon player. She won a whopping twenty titles at the All England Club.

At Wimbledon, Navratilova won nine ladies’ Singles titles, seven ladies’ doubles titles, and four mixed doubles titles over 27 years (1976 – 2003). Navratilova was a rounded player participating fully in all the events Wimbledon had to offer.