Best female tennis players of all time from the Netherlands

Arantxa Rus is currently the highest-ranked Dutch tennis player in the world . The 32-year-old from Delft is currently ranked ^107th in the WTA rankings, keeping Lesley Pattinama (WTA-198) and Arianne Hartono (WTA-227) relatively far behind. A few years ago, the Netherlands boasted a truly world-class player in Kiki Bertens, who at one point was number four in the world. The 31-year-old from Wateringen has since retired, making Rus the standard-bearer of Dutch women's tennis. But who are the best female tennis players of all time from the Netherlands, and how successful were our compatriots in the past? Sjeng Sports offers a top ten!

Marcella Mesker (highest position: 31)

The name Marcella Mesker might ring a bell for the younger generation because the Hague native has been a commentator for the NOS for years. However, Mesker herself was quite a decent ballplayer herself, earning her a ^31st position in the WTA rankings. She won the 1986 Oklahoma WTA tournament and was also successful in doubles, particularly with Christiane Jolissaint. Mesker won a total of ten top-level doubles titles.

Stephanie Rottier (highest position: 30)

While Mesker reached ^31st in the WTA rankings, Stephanie Rottier climbed one spot higher. Unfortunately for Rottier, she was forced to end her career at the age of 24 due to a shoulder injury. In the preceding period, she had reached two WTA finals: one in singles (Tokyo) and one in doubles (Beijing). Unfortunately for Rottier, both finals were lost.

Michaëlla Krajicek (highest position: 30)

Michaëlla Krajicek will be known to many as Richard Krajicek's younger half-sister. Yet, Michaëlla also possessed considerable talent, earning her a ^30th- place ranking in the WTA rankings. In singles, Krajicek reached three top-level finals, winning all three. She topped the rankings in Tashkent (Uzbekistan), Hobart, and Rosmalen. She also achieved six victories in women's doubles.

Manon Bollegraf (highest position: 29)

Manon Bollegraf was a professional tennis player from 1985 to 2000, and her highest ranking was on July 9, 1990, when she reached number ²⁹ in the WTA rankings. In singles, she reached three WTA finals, winning one (1989 in Oklahoma). However, her greatest successes came in doubles. In women's doubles, she reached an impressive 56 finals, winning 26 of them. Her mixed doubles performance was even better, winning the US Open, the Australian Open, and Roland Garros in this category!

Kristie Boogert (highest position: 29)

Kristie Boogert, like Meskers, is also frequently heard on television these days. However, from 1991 to 2003, she also performed at a high level on court, earning her highest ranking ( ^29th ) in the WTA rankings on February 5, 1996. Boogert, too, was particularly successful in doubles, winning three women's doubles tournaments. Mixed doubles also proved successful, winning Roland Garros in that category in 1994, partnering with Menno Oosting.

Miriam Oremans (highest position: 25)

Miriam Oremans ' story is a remarkable one. Oremans, ranked 25th in the world in July 1993, reached five WTA singles finals but won none of them. A welcome consolation for the Berlicum native was that she did manage to win three doubles finals. She and her partner were successful in Linz, Paris, and Rosmalen. Incidentally, at the 2000 Sydney Olympics, Oremans reached the women's doubles final with Boogert. Unfortunately for our compatriots, they lost to sisters Serena and Venus Williams.

Marijke Jansen (highest position: 21)

Marijke Jansen , who played tennis under the name Marijke Schaar after her marriage, became particularly well-known for her unique style of tennis. Instead of using a backhand, Jansen hit a forehand with both hands. Nevertheless, Jansen, who at one point was ranked 21st in the WTA rankings, reached the semifinals of Roland Garros and won the Cannes WTA tournament by defeating compatriot Betty Stöve in the final. She had lost a singles final six times.

Brenda Schultz (highest position: 9)

Brenda Schultz also rightfully belongs among the "best female Dutch tennis players of all time," if only for the fact that she was once among the world's top ten. In singles, Schultz reached sixteen finals, winning seven and losing nine. Schultz also excelled in doubles, winning nine titles with a female partner and, together with fellow Dutchman Michiel Schapers, reaching the final of the mixed doubles tournament at Roland Garros in 1988.

Betty Stöve (highest position: 5)

The only Dutch tennis player to reach the Wimbledon women's singles final is Betty Stöve . During this tournament, she defeated Martina Navrátilová, among others, before conceding defeat to Virginia Wade in the final. At one point, Stöve was ranked fifth in the WTA singles rankings, and that's without even mentioning her doubles prowess. In women's doubles, Stöve won an impressive six Grand Slam titles, while also excelling in mixed doubles (four Grand Slam titles).

Kiki Bertens (highest position: 4)

For many, Kiki Bertens will be the most famous tennis player in this list of "the best female tennis players of all time in the Netherlands." The Wateringen native retired from professional tennis in 2021, having reached fifteen singles finals during her career. She won ten of these, including the WTA 1000 tournament in Madrid. This led to Bertens reaching fourth place in the WTA rankings at one point, the highest ranking any Dutch female tennis player has ever reached. Bertens also won numerous doubles trophies, and it came as a shock to many tennis fans when she decided to retire from high-level tennis in 2021 due to persistent physical ailments.