7 tennis superstars who have won the AP Athlete of the Year award ft. Serena Williams, Steffi Graf, John McEnroe

The AP Athlete of the Year Award by the Associated Press (AP) has become a staple in the world of sports. They have been honoring top athletes since 1931. They also made sure to include women right from the start, which was groundbreaking as female athletes weren't acknowledged for their achievements that often back then.

The winners are selected by a panel of sports editors working across various AP outlets in the US. While it skews heavily in favor of American athletes, players from different countries have also bagged the topmost honors. Baseball great Shohei Ohtani won the male AP Athlete of the Year Award this year. The female awardee will be revealed on Tuesday (December 24).

Tennis has also seen its fair share of accolades from AP. On that note, here's a look at seven high-profile tennis players who have won the AP Athlete of the Year Award in the past:

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#7 - John McEnroe

John McEnroe at the Laver Cup 2024. (Photo: Getty)

McEnroe is one of two men's tennis players to have won the AP Athlete of the Year Award, with Don Budge being the other player. He was honored with this title on the heels of his impressive 1981 season. He won the singles and doubles titles at Wimbledon and the US Open that year, and concluded the year ranked atop the rankings in both disciplines.

McEnroe won 10 titles in singles that year and another eight in doubles. His 1981 season set the tone for his dominance over the next few years, which culminated in his epic 1984 season, during which he posted an 82-3 record. However, he wasn't bestowed with this honor that year, instead, it went to track-and-field legend Carl Lewis.

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#6 - Martina Hingis

Martina Hingis at the WTA Finals 2024. (Photo: Getty)

Hingis catapulted to global fame rather quickly, and at a young age to boot. She set numerous youngest-ever records. It all began with her triumph at the Australian Open in 1997, which she won at the age of 16 years and three months. Following a heartbreaking loss to Iva Majoli in the French Open final, she bounced back to win Wimbledon and the US Open.

Hingis also attained the No. 1 ranking in singles, and won 12 titles from 13 finals, with a 78-5 win-loss record. For her achievements in 1997, she was given the AP Athlete of the Year Award, the only time she won this honor during her career.

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#5 - Naomi Osaka

Naomi Osaka at the US Open 2020. (Photo: Getty)

The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted the world in 2020, and athletes weren't exempt from its clutches as sporting activities were brought to a standstill as well. As far as tennis was concerned, players returned to compete without audiences in the second half of the 2020 season.

Osaka took home her third Major title at the US Open that year, beating two-time Major champion Victoria Azarenka in the final. She had previously reached the final of the Cincinnati Open as well. She also threw her weight behind various social justice movements taking place around the same time. She was feted with the AP Athlete of the Year award due to her on and off-court endeavors that year.

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#4 - Steffi Graf

Steffi Graf at Wimbledon 1992. (Photo: Getty)

Graf completed the coveted Golden Slam in 1988 by winning all four Majors and the Olympic gold medal. However, Florence Griffith Joyner was adjudged as the AP Athlete of the Year among women that year.

Graf defended three of her four Major titles in 1989 and finished the season ranked No. 1 for the third year in a row. She had an 86-2 record and won 14 titles from 16 finals, and was in the final of every tournament she played that year. Her unparalleled dominance that year made her the obvious choice for the AP Athlete of the Year Award.

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#3 - Martina Navratilova

Martina Navratilova at the WTA Finals 2023. (Photo: Getty)

Navratilova is one of the few tennis players to have won the AP Athlete of the Year Award multiple times. She first won this award in the wake of her exploits during her 1983 season. She posted an 86-1 record that year, won 16 titles, including three Majors, and another three in doubles, and concluded the season at the top of the rankings.

Navratilova was given this award for the second time in 1986. She produced another dominant display of tennis with an 89-3 record, two Major titles, and 14 titles overall. She also finished the season ranked No. 1 for the fifth consecutive year and for the last time in her career.

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#2 - Chris Evert

Chris Evert at Wimbledon 1975. (Photo: Getty)

Evert was honored with the AP Athlete of the Year Award four times during her playing days. She first received this honor on the heels of her breakthrough season in 1974. She won her first couple of Major titles that year, at the French Open and Wimbledon, and put together a 55-match winning streak.

Evert was given the award in 1975 as well for her continued dominance. She became the first woman to be ranked as No. 1 following WTA's adaptation of computer rankings and won two more Majors that year.

The American was the recipient of this award in 1977. She won 11 titles that year, though only one of them came at a Major, the US Open. Evert bagged this award for the final time in 1980, thanks to her title-winning runs at the French Open and the US Open, and securing the year-end No. 1 ranking once again after finishing the previous season in second place.

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#1 - Serena Williams

Serena Williams at Wimbledon 2016. (Photo: Getty)

Williams has won the AP Athlete of the Year Award five times, the most by a tennis player, and the second-most in AP history. She first claimed this award in 2002 after winning three consecutive Major titles and finished the season as the World No. 1 for the first time.

Seven years later, Williams was crowned by AP for the second time. She won two Major titles in 2009 and wrapped up the year as the top-ranked player for the second time in her career. She produced her most dominant season in 2013, with 11 titles, including two Majors, and was adjudged by AP as the top female athlete for the third time.

Williams was on the cusp of history in 2015. She was on the verge of completing the Calendar Year Grand Slam but was stunned by Roberta Vinci in the semifinals of the US Open. Nevertheless, she won the award for the fourth time that year. She was awarded the same by AP one last time in 2018 following her return from maternity leave, courtesy of her runner-up finishes at Wimbledon and the US Open.