4) Martina Navratilova
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The left-handed Czech-American had an enviable record at Flushing Meadows during a 5 year period between 1983 and 1987 which saw her win 4 US Open titles, 2 of them (’83 & ‘87) without losing a single set.
The only year she missed out during the period was in 1985, when she was defeated by Czech Republic’s Hana Mandlikova in 3 sets. Quite an astonishing period of dominance in a tournament. In fact, Navratilova was at the top of her game during the period, winning 6 consecutive majors – a feat that has been unmatched still.
Needless to say, the sight of a bespectacled Martina unleashing her ripping forehands and one-handed backhands was too common a sight at the US Open. To add to it, the calibre of opponents she defeated only ramped up the wow factor in her victories – Chris Evert (twice), Steffi Graf and Helena Sukova were the losing finalists on the four occasions.
She also ended up as the runner-up 4 times either side of her period of dominance. Her 4-6, 6-4, 6-4 defeat of Chris Evert in the 1984 final was one of the classics at US Open.
