Top 5 greatest mixed doubles teams in history of Tennis

The concept of mixed doubles in the game of Tennis was introduced way back in 1887 by the US Open. This was followed by the Wimbledon in 1913. After 12 years, the Australia Open introduced this format, followed by the French Open in 1925. Most of the time, the Grand Slams host the double games. Meanwhile, in this listicle, we will discuss the five greatest games in this category.

Five greatest mixed doubles in Tennis:

1. Leander Paes and Martini Hingis 

Paes is a legend in the game with a total of 18 Grand Slams in his career — eight in men’s doubles and ten in mixed doubles. On the other, Hingis has retired from the game. The pair is probably one of the best in the history of the game.  They teamed up for the first time in 2015 and went on a rampage, winning all four major Grand Slams. They then added the 2016 French Open to their collection, which helped Hingis become only the fourth woman in history to complete a Career Grand Slam in both singles and mixed doubles.

2. Cara Black and Leander Paes 

The legendary Indian player gets featured in the list again but another player this time around. The Zimbabwe player is one of the most celebrated players given the political situation and economic one that have plagued the Southern African nation over the years.

Meanwhile, the duo reached five Grand Slam finals in two years (2008-10), winning three of them. They won all three Grand Slams barring the French Open, which they have otherwise won with their other partners throughout their respective decorated careers. With his final triumph in the 2010 US Open, Leander Paes equalled the record for most Grand Slam title wins for an Indian professional.

3. Margaret Smith Court and Ken Fletcher 

Kenneth Norman Fletcher, an Australian player, was born on June 15, 1940. His most successful mixed doubles partnership was undoubtedly with Margaret Smith Court. She was also a professional Australian player who was a former singles World No.1 with 24 singles Grand Slams and 21 Grand Slams in mixed doubles. 

The Australian duo managed to win all the Grand Slams and were the most dominant mixed doubles team of the 1960s. In 1963, the partnership won all four mixed doubles titles and also won both the Australian Open and French Open in 1964. They further won back-to-back Wimbledon titles in 1965 and 1966 and also won three straight French Opens in a row, winning their final one in 1965. 

4. Martina Navratilova and Bob Bryan 

Martina Navratilova and Bob Bryan are two of the greats in tennis doubles history. Martina started pursuing mixed doubles seriously as she grew older and won titles in her late 30s, 40s, one even in her 50s, making her the only tennis athlete to do so at that age.

The mixed doubles duo of Navratilova and Bryan was one of the most surprising partnerships for tennis fans, but it proved perfect as they won the US Open in 2006, which was the last of Martina’s career and also marked the dominance of Bob Bryan.

5. Margaret Smith Court and Marty Riessen

Margaret Smith Court, an Australian player, was born on July 16, 1942. Throughout her career, she won 62 Grand Slam titles: 24 singles, 19 doubles, and 19 mixed doubles titles.

Marty Riessen, an American, was born on December 4, 1941. In the course of his career, he won seven mixed doubles titles; six of those titles were won with Margaret. He achieved his career at Grand Slam partnering with her. Riessen’s highest ranking was No. 11 in singles and No. 3 in doubles.