5 oldest US Open women's singles champions in the Open Era

#4 Martina Navratilova (1987)

Martina Navratilova

One of the greatest athletes of all time, Martina Navratilova played professional tennis till the age of 50. The 'Iron Lady' of tennis, won an all-time record 59 Grand Slam titles across all three categories.

Navratilova came into the 1987 US Open as the defending champion and second seed. Prior to this, she had won the tournament on three different occasions.

Navratilova hadn't dropped a single set en-route to her path to the final. In the final, she faced top seed and teenage sensation Steffi Graf.

Graf was just 18 back then and Navratilova was in her 30s, but that didn't stop the legendary champion from winning her 4th US Open title at the age of 30 years, 330 days.

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#3 Margaret Court (1973)

Margaret Court

It is really no surprise that the most decorated tennis athlete of all time - Margaret Court - makes it to most top 5 or top 10 charts.

No tennis player, barring possibly Serena Williams, has been as dominant as Court was. The Australian won a remarkable 192 singles titles overall.

Court came into the 1973 US Open as a 4-time champion, having already won two US Open crowns in the Open Era. She was the 2nd seed at this edition.

In the semis, Court beat Chris Evert in a tight 3-setter to set up a final clash against compatriot Evonne Goolagong Cawley. Court won the match in 3 sets, at the age of 31 years, 51 days.