Serena Williams' first US Open was 28 years ago — look at the WTA top 10 then

Tuesday, 11 August 2026 at 06:30

Serena Williams could be about to return to the US Open, four years after she appeared to bring her extraordinary career to an end in New York. Her comeback during the 2026 grass-court swing has opened the door to another appearance at Flushing Meadows — potentially 28 years after she first played the tournament.

When Serena made her US Open debut in 1998, she was just 16 years old and ranked outside the world's top 20. Martina Hingis was No. 1, Lindsay Davenport was about to win her first Grand Slam and Venus Williams was already inside the top five.

The names in the WTA top 10 that week offer an extraordinary snapshot of the era Serena would eventually outlast. And the teenager who entered this group as a 16-year-old? She went on to win 23 Grand Slam singles titles.

WTA top 10 at Serena Williams' first US Open

Rank	Player	Age
1	Martina Hingis	17
2	Lindsay Davenport	22
3	Jana Novotná	29
4	Arantxa Sánchez Vicario	26
5	Venus Williams	18
6	Monica Seles	24
7	Conchita Martínez	26
8	Steffi Graf	29
9	Irina Spîrlea	24
10	Nathalie Tauziat	30

1. Martina Hingis (Switzerland, 17 years)

The Swiss legend was in the middle of her golden era. After becoming one of the greatest teenage sensations in tennis history, Hingis was the undisputed world No. 1 and already a four-time Grand Slam champion before turning 18. She had reached at least the semifinals in eight consecutive Grand Slam tournaments, from the 1996 US Open through Wimbledon 1998, and arrived in New York as both the defending champion and the overwhelming title favorite.

However, Hingis failed to defend her crown. Despite another impressive run to the final, she lost to world No. 2 Lindsay Davenport, a result that would ultimately cost her the No. 1 ranking only a few weeks later after nearly two years at the top.

Martina Hingis was the defending champion at the 1998 US Open, but lost in the final against Lindsay Davenport.

2. Lindsay Davenport (USA, 22 years)

The American had long been regarded as a future Grand Slam contender, but she was still searching for the breakthrough that would define her career. She had already reached three major semifinals and had won her first Tier I title — the equivalent of today’s WTA 1000 events — at Indian Wells earlier in 1998. She entered Flushing Meadows as the leading American hope after a 19-year drought without a home champion in the women’s singles draw.

Davenport made history by defeating defending champion and world No. 1 Martina Hingis in the final to claim her first Grand Slam title. She would go on to win three major singles titles and reach four additional Grand Slam finals, but the 1998 US Open was the tournament that confirmed she was ready to challenge for the top ranking.

3. Jana Novotná (Czechia, 29 years)

The legendary Czech arrived in New York only weeks after winning the first Grand Slam singles title of her career at Wimbledon. After spending nearly a decade inside the top 10 and repeatedly making deep runs at major tournaments — including three previous Grand Slam finals — she finally lifted the trophy at the All England Club by defeating Nathalie Tauziat, a victory that propelled her to world No. 3.

At the time, Novotná was one of the oldest players in the top 10, but she remained one of the most respected competitors on the Tour. She reached the US Open semifinals without dropping a set before losing to world No. 1 Hingis.

4. Arantxa Sánchez Vicario (Spain, 26 years)

Another all-time great, Sánchez Vicario had already spent nearly a decade among the world’s elite. The Spaniard had won her first major title at Roland Garros in 1989 at just 17 years old, and by the summer of 1998 she was already a four-time Grand Slam champion after claiming her third French Open title earlier that season.

She had also reached eight additional Grand Slam finals and remained one of the toughest competitors in women’s tennis. However, 1998 proved to be the final major peak of her career, as she gradually began losing prominence in the seasons that followed.

Arantxa Sánchez-Vicario on court at Roland Garros.

5. Venus Williams (USA, 18 years)

By the time Serena made her US Open debut, Venus was already firmly established among the world’s best players. She had made a spectacular rise through the rankings as a teenager and had reached the US Open final the previous year, where she lost to Hingis. She arrived in 1998 seeking redemption and was already viewed as one of the future stars of the sport.

Venus reached the semifinals before falling to compatriot Lindsay Davenport. Remarkably, it was only her second US Open appearance, yet she already had a final and a semifinal to her name — a sign of the dominance that would later bring her titles in New York in 2000 and 2001.

Venus Williams celebrating in Bad Homburg

6. Monica Seles (USA, 24 years)

Monica Seles remains one of the biggest "what if" stories in tennis history. The Yugoslav-born star had dominated the early 1990s, winning eight Grand Slam titles between 1990 and 1993 before the infamous on-court stabbing in 1993 abruptly interrupted what had looked like a generational career while she was still in her teens.

By 1998, Seles was still one of the most respected names in the sport. She had reached the Roland Garros final earlier that season before losing to Sánchez Vicario. Although she never reached another Grand Slam final after that, she remained competitive for several more years before retiring in 2003.

7. Conchita Martínez (26 years, 4 months)

The Spaniard was another experienced top-10 player entering the tournament in strong form. Earlier in 1998, she had reached her first Grand Slam final on hard courts at the Australian Open, where she finished runner-up. The 1994 Wimbledon champion had returned to the top 10 after a slight dip the previous season and remained a major threat at the biggest events.

The 1998 season marked the eighth time Martínez finished inside the top 10, part of a remarkable run of nine top-10 seasons during her career. She also won the prestigious Tier I event in Berlin and played a key role alongside Sánchez Vicario in Spain’s Fed Cup triumph. She remains a familiar figure on the WTA Tour today as the coach of world No. 5 Mirra Andreeva, whom she guided to her first Grand Slam title at Roland Garros earlier this year.

Mirra Andreeva and her coach Conchita Martinez smile with the 2026 French Open trophy.

8. Steffi Graf (29 years, 2 months)

Graf was one of the veteran figures in the top 10 and unquestionably the greatest women’s tennis player of that era. She had already won 21 of the 22 Grand Slam singles titles she would finish with, but injuries had severely limited her during the 1997 and 1998 seasons, leading many to believe that her legendary career was nearing its end.

Despite playing only a handful of tournaments in 1998, she remained inside the top 10. Her results that year — including a third-round exit at Wimbledon and a fourth-round finish at Roland Garros — were well below the standards she had set throughout her career. She was nevertheless present at the beginning of Serena Williams’ Grand Slam journey, a player who would eventually surpass Graf’s record for major singles titles in the Open Era.

9. Irina Spîrlea (24 years, 5 months)

Perhaps the least familiar name in that top 10, the Romanian enjoyed a highly successful career throughout the 1990s. She became one of only three Romanian women to reach the top 10, alongside Virginia Ruzici and Simona Halep, and her best Grand Slam result came at the 1997 US Open, where she reached the semifinals.

Spîrlea was named WTA Newcomer of the Year in 1994 and won four singles titles during her career, all on clay. She also qualified for the Tour Championships three times, the equivalent of today’s WTA Finals, before retiring in 2000 after a strong and consistent career.

10. Nathalie Tauziat (30 years, 10 months)

Another of the veteran players in the top 10, Tauziat had built many of her greatest successes in doubles alongside compatriot Alexandra Fusai. However, 1998 was also the breakthrough season of her singles career. After spending nearly a decade hovering around the top 20, she finally broke into the top 10 at the age of 30.

Two years later, she reached a career-high ranking of world No. 3, becoming one of the notable examples of a player whose best singles results came relatively late in her career. Tauziat remained involved in tennis after retirement, working as a coach for Bianca Andreescu and Harmony Tan, and she is currently coaching Canadian rising star Victoria Mboko.

Serena Williams 1998 v 2026

	1998	2026
Age	16	44
US Open status	Debut	Potential comeback
Grand Slam titles	0	23
US Open titles	0	6
World No. 1	No	Former No. 1
Career status	Teenager	Legend

The top 10 and what happened next?

1998 WTA Top 10	What happened next
Martina Hingis	World No. 1 and five-time Grand Slam champion
Lindsay Davenport	Three-time Grand Slam champion and world No. 1
Jana Novotná	Wimbledon champion and Hall of Fame career
Arantxa Sánchez Vicario	Four-time Grand Slam champion
Venus Williams	Seven-time Grand Slam champion
Monica Seles	Eight-time Grand Slam champion
Conchita Martínez	Wimbledon champion
Steffi Graf	22-time Grand Slam champion
Irina Spîrlea	Top-10 player and four-time WTA champion
Nathalie Tauziat	World No. 3

The 1998 US Open was the beginning of Serena Williams' Grand Slam story, but almost nobody could have predicted how long that story would last. The teenager who entered a draw dominated by Hingis, Graf, Seles, Davenport and her older sister Venus would eventually become a 23-time Grand Slam champion and one of the defining athletes of the modern era. Now, 28 years after that first appearance, Serena could be heading back to Flushing Meadows once again.

Cristhián AvilaTennis Journalist

Cristhián Ávila is a tennis journalist based in Santiago, Chile, and has been part of the TennisUpToDate team since early 2023. He covers the ATP and WTA Tours as well as all four Grand Slams, producing breaking news, match reports, analysis, and regular liveblogs from major tournaments.

His reporting combines statistical analysis with clear explanation, helping readers understand tactical developments, player form, and broader storylines across the tour. Working fluently in both Spanish and English, Cristhián collaborates with an international editorial team and contributes to comprehensive global coverage. As part of his work, he has conducted interviews and media interactions with leading figures in the sport, including Caroline Wozniacki and John McEnroe.

In his journalism, Cristhián places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles promptly when new, verified information becomes available. His coverage is grounded in research, context, and direct engagement with professional tennis.

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