5 youngest women's Grand Slam champions in the Open Era

Winning a Grand Slam title is the biggest challenge in the world of tennis. It is the ultimate test of patience, grit and mental strength, and that too in the toughest of situations.

Every player dreams of adding a Grand Slam title to their trophy cabinet and etch their name in the history books. Winning a Slam is no mean feat at any stage in one's career, although we have seen the likes of Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Serena Williams defy several odds over the years to win numerous Major titles in tennis.

Quite recently, Japanese youngster Naomi Osaka became a household name with a famous win over her idol Serena Williams at the US Open, becoming a Grand Slam champion at just 20 years of age. She then backed up that performance with the 2019 Australian Open title.

In this article, we take a look at five other champions in the women's game (Open Era) who made history at a very early age.

5. Arantxa Sanchez Vicario (17 years, 174 days)

Nicknamed the 'Barcelona Bumblebee' for her relentless pursuit of the ball, Arantxa Sanchez Vicario raised many eyebrows as she beat the great Steffi Graf to win her first Major title at the 1989 French Open, aged just 17.

One of the very few players to taste success in both the singles and doubles, Sanchez Vicario amassed four singles, six doubles and four mixed doubles Grand Slam titles in an illustrious career. She represented Spain at as many as five Olympics and won four medals, earning a silver and bronze each in both the singles and doubles categories.

Sanchez Vicario earned a reputation as one of the most decorated Spanish athletes and was also inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 2007. She continued to inspire the next generation of female players after retirement as well, as she coached Danish tennis star Caroline Wozniacki in 2015.

4. Maria Sharapova (17 years, 75 days)

One of the most glamorous athletes in the sporting world, Maria Sharapova shot to fame with her maiden Grand Slam title at a young age of 17. At the 2004 Wimbledon Championships, Sharapova beat former champion Lindsay Davenport in the semi-final before recording a stunning win over top seed and defending champion Serena Williams in the final to win the coveted title.

Sharapova did not let early success distract her, and continued her consistent performances at the top level to earn the World No. 1 ranking in 2005, becoming the first Russian woman to do so.

Sharapova has won five Grand Slam titles till date, that includes two French Open titles. Her 2012 French Open win made her only the 10th woman in history to complete the 'Career Grand Slam'.

She put behind the disappointment of a doping suspension in 2016, and returned after serving a 15-month ban to continue challenging for the Major titles in the sport. Despite facing numerous injuries over the course of her career, Sharapova has kept fighting back and is still regarded as a title contender at every tournament she plays.

3. Tracy Austin (16 years, 270 days)

American tennis star Tracy Austin made a name for herself with a famous win over legendary player Billie Jean King in the quarterfinal of the 1979 Wimbledon Championships. She lost to Martina Navratilova in the semi-final but avenged that defeat as she beat Navratilova en route to her US Open title later that year.

At that tournament, she beat another great, Chris Evert, in the final to become a Grand Slam champion at just 16 years of age. She also earned the World No. 1 ranking in 1980 at the age of 17.

Austin held an impressive 26-match winning streak at the highest level on her way to winning her second US Open title in 1981, where she once again beat Navratilova - this time in the final.

She is the youngest inductee into the International Tennis Hall of Fame, earning the honor in 1992 at the age of 29. Austin is now a renowned tennis commentator at major tennis tournaments around the world.

2. Monica Seles (16 years, 189 days)

Monica Seles became a Grand Slam champion at 16 when she beat Steffi Graf to win the 1990 French Open. Regarded as one of the most talented youngsters in the world, Seles dominated the women's circuit for quite some time after that win.

She won eight Grand Slam titles before turning 20 years old, a feat that will always be very difficult to surpass. Seles won three Grand Slam titles in 1991, a year in which she also achieved the World No. 1 ranking.

She made the finals of all four Grand Slams the following year, winning three of them. Seles won nine Grand Slam titles in her career, including four Australian Open, three French Open, and two US Open titles.

She was the victim of an on-court knife attack in 1993 when she was at the peak of her game. Seles put the horrific incident behind her as she returned to the game in 1995 and won another Grand Slam title at the 1996 Australian Open, before winning a bronze medal at the Olympic Games in 2000.

A true champion in every sense of the word, Seles was later inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame.

1. Martina Hingis (16 years, 117 days)

One of the most celebrated players in women's tennis history, Martina Hingis still holds the record of being the youngest Grand Slam champion in the Open Era. She achieved the feat at the 1997 Australian Open, where she defeated Mary Pierce in the final

In a career that saw many ups and downs, the Swiss superstar won five Grand Slam singles titles, 13 Grand Slam women's doubles titles and seven Grand Slam mixed doubles titles, to record her name in the history books as a 25-time Grand Slam champion. She also became the youngest ever World No. 1 at just 16 years old, in 1997.

Hingis also achieved the extremely rare feat of a Calendar doubles Grand Slam in 1998, winning all the four women's doubles Grand Slam titles that year.

After an early retirement in 2007 at the age of 27, Hingis returned six years later in 2013 and asserted her dominance once again, as she won four Grand Slam women's doubles titles and six Grand Slam mixed doubles titles. Her comeback period also saw her win multiple doubles titles in 2015 and 2016 with Indian tennis star Sania Mirza, and the pair also recorded an astonishing 41-match winning streak.

Hingis also won an Olympic silver at the 2016 Games with partner Timea Backsinszky. The International Hall of Famer eventually retired in October 2017, as one of the most successful tennis players in history.