Two-time US Open women’s singles champion Venus Williams, who takes on No. 20 seed Karolina Muchova Tuesday night in a first-round match in Arthur Ashe Stadium, is playing in her 22nd US Open, which puts her one ahead of Martina Navratilova (1973-93) for the most US Open women’s singles tournaments played in a career.
Williams made her US Open debut in 1997 and advanced to the final, the first woman to accomplish that feat in an initial appearance. Bianca Andreescu made US Open history last year by becoming the first woman to capture the tournament in her main draw debut.
Williams has missed the US Open only twice since her debut, in 2003 (with an abdominal injury) and in 2006 (with a left wrist injury), and has reached the semifinals or better nine times.
The 2020 US Open also marks Williams’ 86th appearance in the singles main draw of a Grand Slam tournament, which is the most major appearances by any player at a major. Serena Williams, who is playing in her 75th Grand Slam singles tournament, ranks second in all-time major appearances by a woman. Roger Federer has appeared in 79 major singles tournament and tops on the men’s list.
The women and men who have played the most number of US Open singles tournaments in a career:
Women
Venus Williams: 22 (1997-2002, 2004-05, 2007-20)
Martina Navratilova: 21 (1973-93)
Serena Williams: 20 (1998-2002, 2004-09, 2011-16, 2018-20)
Amy Frazier: 20 (1987-2006)
Chris Evert: 19 (1971-89)
Men
Jimmy Connors: 22 (1970-89, 1991-92)
Andre Agassi: 21 (1986-2006)
Feliciano Lopez: 19 (2002-20)
Roger Federer: 19 (2000-15, 2017-19)
Philipp Kohlschreiber: 17 (2003-19)
Fernando Verdasco: 17 (2003-19)
Michael Chang: 17 (1987-2003)
