Winning a singles title is a much coveted achievement which has alluded established players on both the ATP and WTA Tours. Anna Kournikova is arguably the best WTA player to never win a tour level title. The Russian reached #8 in the world but lost all four singles finals she reached in her short career.
Here is a look at the best active players who are yet to win a WTA singles title:
Ons Jabeur
Jabeur is currently at a career-high ranking of #31 after her best season on the WTA Tour. In 2020, the Tunisian reached quarter-finals at the Australian Open, as well as at the Premier 5 events in Qatar and Cincinnati.
The 26-year-old reached her only WTA final at the 2018 Kremlin Cup Premier event in Moscow. After qualifying, Jabeur beat Ekaterina Makarova, Sloane Stephens, Anett Kontaveit, and Anastasija Sevastova to progress to the title match. There, she lost to Daria Kasatkina in three sets, after having led by a set and 4-1.
Jabeur has reached two other WTA semifinals – both coming in 2019. After making the last four at the WTA Premier event in Eastbourne, the Tunisian withdrew prior to her match against Angelique Kerber with an ankle injury. The 26-year-old then lost to Rebecca Peterson in the semifinals of the WTA International tournament in Tianjin.
Danielle Collins
World #45 Collins – who reached a career-high ranking of #23 in 2019 – is yet to reach a tour level final. The 26-year-old did, though, win the Newport Beach Challenger WTA 125K event at the start of her breakthrough 2018 campaign.
In March that year, Collins reached her first WTA semifinal at the Miami Open Premier Mandatory tournament. After coming through qualifying, the American defeated players including CoCo Vandeweghe, Donna Vekic, and Venus Williams – before falling in straight sets to Jelena Ostapenko. Later in 2018, Collins reached the last four at the San Jose Premier event – where she fell to Maria Sakkari.
In 2019, Collins made the semifinals of the Australian Open with victories over Julia Goerges, Sachia Vickery, Caroline Garcia, Kerber, and Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova. The 26-year-old lost to Petra Kvitova in straight sets. A year later at the 2020 WTA Premier event in Adelaide, the American reached the semifinals – where she was defeated by Ashleigh Barty 7-5 in a third set tiebreak.
Bethanie Mattek-Sands
Mattek-Sands is currently ranked #338 in singles, but the 35-year-old has been as high as #30. While the American has won 27 titles in women’s doubles, she has lost in all four of her singles finals. All of those final appearances were at WTA International level – with the first coming in Quebec in 2008. There, Mattek-Sands lost to former world #3 Nadia Petrova in three sets. The American reached the final in Quebec again two years later and was defeated on that occasion by Tamira Paszek in a tight three-setter.
Mattek-Sands then reached her third title match at the 2011 Hobart International – where she fell to Jarmila Wolfe (formerly Jarmila Groth) in straight sets. The 35-year-old made it to her most recent singles final as a wildcard – while ranked #197 – at the 2013 Malaysian Open. In Kuala Lumpur, Karolina Pliskova won her first WTA title by beating Mattek-Sands in three sets.
Other notable cases
Several other experienced or promising active WTA players are yet to win a singles title:
- Ajla Tomljanovic: runner-up in four WTA International finals;
- Aliaksandra Sasnovich: runner-up in two WTA finals – one Premier, one International;
- Shelby Rogers: runner-up in two WTA International finals;
- Madison Brengle and Marie Bouzkova: both a runner-up in one WTA International final;
- CiCi Bellis and Veronika Kudermetova: both yet to reach a WTA final.
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