South African Open tournament history
Explore South African Open champions and finals from 1891 to 1984. Compare title leaders, winners, runners-up, scores, surfaces, categories, and available match records.
Arrows show an edition's recorded category and documented modern equivalent; unresolved editions keep their recorded category. Mapping details.
Most Titles
| Player | Titles | Seasons |
|---|---|---|
| Margaret Court | 3 | 1971, 1970, 1968 |
| Brigette Cuypers | 2 | 1979, 1976 |
| Chris Evert | 2 | 1984, 1973 |
Only Open Era titles from 1968 onwards are counted.
Tournament Outcomes by Season
| Season | Winner | Score | Runner-up | H2H | Match Data | Category | Surface |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1984 | Chris Evert | 6-3 6-0 | Andrea Jaeger | H2H | Match data | WTA 250 | Hard |
| 1981 | Kathy Horvath | 7-6(4) 6-4 | Kathy Rinaldi Stunkel | H2H | Match data | WTA 250 | Hard |
| 1980 | Lesley Charles | 7-5 6-4 | Rene Uys | H2H | Match data | WTA 250 | Hard |
| 1979 | Brigette Cuypers | 7-6 6-2 | Tanya Harford | H2H | Match data | WTA 250 | Hard |
| 1977 | Linky Boshoff | 6-4 6-1 | Brigette Cuypers | H2H | Match data | WTA 250 | Hard |
| 1976 | Brigette Cuypers | 6-7(7) 6-4 6-1 | Laura Dupont | H2H | Match data | WTA 250 | Hard |
| 1975 | Annette Van Zyl | 6-2 3-6 6-4 | Brigette Cuypers | H2H | Match data | WTA 250 | Hard |
| 1974 | Kerry Reid | 6-3 7-5 | Dianne Fromholtz | H2H | Match data | WTA 250 | Hard |
| 1973 | Chris Evert | 6-3 6-3 | Evonne Goolagong | H2H | Match data | WTA 250 | Hard |
| 1972 | Evonne Goolagong | 4-6 6-3 6-0 | Virginia Wade | H2H | Match data | WTA 250 | Hard |
| 1971 | Margaret Court | 6-3 6-1 | Evonne Goolagong | H2H | Match data | WTA 250 | Hard |
| 1970 | Margaret Court | 6-4 1-6 6-3 | Billie Jean King | H2H | Match data | WTA 250 | Hard |
| 1969 | Billie Jean King | 6-3 6-4 | Nancy Richey | H2H | Match data | WTA 250 | Hard |
| 1968 | Margaret Court | 6-4 6-4 | Virginia Wade | H2H | Match data | WTA 250 | Hard |
| Pre-Open Era — historical archive, display only | |||||||
| 1967 | Billie Jean King | 7–5, 5–7, 6–2 | Maria Bueno | — | — | — | — |
| 1966 | Billie Jean King | 6–3, 6–2 | Margaret Court | — | — | — | — |
| 1965 | Christine Truman | 6–2, 6–3 | Annette Van Zyl | — | — | — | — |
| 1964 | Darlene Hard | 6–3, 7–5 | Ann Haydon-Jones | — | — | — | — |
| 1963 | Annette Van Zyl | 6–4, 2–6, 6–3 | Margaret Hunt | — | — | — | — |
| 1962 | Heather Brewer-Segal | 6–1, 7–5 | Jean Forbes | — | — | — | — |
| 1961 | Sandra Reynolds | 6–4, 7–5 | Lynette Hutchings | — | — | — | — |
| 1960 | Bernice Vukovich | 6–1, 2–6, 12–10 | Sandra Reynolds | — | — | — | — |
| 1959 | Sandra Reynolds | 6–0, 8–6 | Bernice Vukovich (Carr) | — | — | — | — |
| 1958 | Bernice Carr | 3–6, 7–5, 6–4 | Heather Brewer-Segal | — | — | — | — |
| 1957 | Heather Brewer | 8–10, 6–2, 6–3 | Gwendy Love | — | — | — | — |
| 1956 | Dora Kilian | 4–6, 7–5, 6–4 | Gwendy Love | — | — | — | — |
| 1955 | Hazel Redick-Smith | 6–4, 6–3 | Lucille van der Westhuizen | — | — | — | — |
| 1954 | Hazel Redick-Smith | 4–6, 6–3, 6–2 | Gwendy Love | — | — | — | — |
| 1953 | Hazel Redick-Smith | 6–2, 6–2 | Julia Wipplinger | — | — | — | — |
| 1952 | Doris Hart | 6–1, 7–5 | Julia Wipplinger | — | — | — | — |
| 1951 | Sheila Summers | 8–6, 2–6, 7–5 | Hazel Redick-Smith | — | — | — | — |
| 1950 | Shirley Fry | 4–6, 7–5, 6–3 | Doris Hart | — | — | — | — |
| 1949 | Sheila Summers | 6–1, 6–1 | Thelma Long | — | — | — | — |
| 1948 | Sheila Summers | 6–1, 6–4 | Kay Menzies | — | — | — | — |
| 1947 | Mary D. Muller | 6–2, 6–8, 6–2 | Sheila Piercey Summers | — | — | — | — |
| 1946 | Mary D. Muller | 6–4, 6–4 | Mrs O. Plessis | — | — | — | — |
| 1945 | Singles event not held | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1944 | Singles event not held | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1943 | Singles event not held | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1942 | Singles event not held | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1941 | Singles event not held | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1940 | Olive Craze | 4–6, 6–4, 6–4 | Sheila Piercey | — | — | — | — |
| 1939 | Olive Craze | 4–6, 6–3, 6–4 | Sheila Piercey | — | — | — | — |
| 1938 | Billie Tapscott Robbins | 6–4, 6–4 | Olive Craze | — | — | — | — |
| 1937 | Bobbie Heine Miller | 6–4, 4–6, 6–0 | Alida Neave | — | — | — | — |
| 1936 | Bobbie Heine Miller | 6–2, 4–6, 6–4 | Mrs V. Everett | — | — | — | — |
| 1935 | Mrs A. Allister | 6–4, 6–3 | Billie Tapscott Robbins | — | — | — | — |
| 1934 | Billie Tapscott Robbins | 6–0, 6–3 | Mrs W.N. Lowe | — | — | — | — |
| 1933 | Billie Tapscott Robbins | 6–4, 3–6, 6–1 | Mrs W.N. Lowe | — | — | — | — |
| 1932 | Bobbie Heine Miller | 6–0, 6–3 | Mrs W.N. Lowe (Miller) | — | — | — | — |
| 1931 | Bobbie Heine | 6–3, 6–3 | Miss W.N. Miller | — | — | — | — |
| 1930 | Billie Tapscott | 7–5, 6–2 | Mrs V. Everett | — | — | — | — |
| 1929 | Mrs M. McJannett | 7–5, 6–2 | Miss W.N. Miller | — | — | — | — |
| 1928 | Bobbie Heine | 8–6, 6–3 | Billie Tapscott | — | — | — | — |
| 1927 | Mrs M. McJannett | 12–10, 6–4 | Mrs V. Everett | — | — | — | — |
| 1926 | Irene Peacock | 6–2, 6–1 | Miss A. de Smit | — | — | — | — |
| 1925 | Irene Peacock | 5–7, 6–1, 6–1 | Mrs L. McArthur | — | — | — | — |
| 1924 | Irene Peacock | 7–5, 6–4 | Mrs L. McArthur | — | — | — | — |
| 1923 | Mrs C.K. Pitt | 6–4, 6–3 | Mrs D.R.Moor | — | — | — | — |
| 1922 | Mrs M. McJannett | 6–2, 6–2 | Miss J. Parker | — | — | — | — |
| 1921 | Miss N. Edwards | 6–1, 6–2 | Mrs W.F. du Plessis | — | — | — | — |
| 1920 | Olive Winslow (Mathias) | 6–3, 7–5 | Miss Phillips | — | — | — | — |
| 1919 | Singles event not held | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1918 | Singles event not held | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1917 | Singles event not held | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1916 | Singles event not held | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1915 | Singles event not held | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1914 | Olive Mathias | 3–6, 6–2, 6–2 | Mrs H.A. Kirby | — | — | — | — |
| 1913 | Miss M. Coles | 6–3, 9–7 | Miss M. Kelly | — | — | — | — |
| 1912 | Mrs H.A. Kirby | 6–2, 6–0 | Olive Mathias | — | — | — | — |
| 1911 | Mrs G. Washington | 6–0, 6–1 | Miss M. Kelly | — | — | — | — |
| 1910 | Mrs H.A. Kirby | 6–1, 6–2 | Mrs J Reid | — | — | — | — |
| 1909 | Mrs G. Washington | 6–2, 7–9, 6–4 | Miss Edwards | — | — | — | — |
| 1908 | Miss M. Kelly | 6–2, 6–1 | Mrs Gillmore | — | — | — | — |
| 1907 | Mrs H.A. Kirby | 6–1, 4–6, 6–2 | Mrs R.H.Miller | — | — | — | — |
| 1906 | Mrs H.A. Kirby | 7–5, 6–2 | Mrs Greatwood | — | — | — | — |
| 1905 | Mrs H.A. Kirby | 6–2, 6–0 | Mrs S.B.Syfret | — | — | — | — |
| 1904 | Mrs H.A. Kirby | 6–4, 5–7, 6–4 | Mrs M. Nevill (Grant) | — | — | — | — |
| 1903 | Miss F. Kuys | 6–0, 6–2 | Mrs Mackay | — | — | — | — |
| 1902 | Singles event not held | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1901 | Singles event not held | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1900 | Singles event not held | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1899 | Miss N. Hickman | 6–8, 6–2, 6–3 | Mrs H. Green | — | — | — | — |
| 1898 | Miss N. Hickman | — | Miss L. Biddulph | — | — | — | — |
| 1897 | Miss N. Hickman | 7–9, 12–10, 6–2 | Mrs H. Green | — | — | — | — |
| 1896 | Mrs H. Green | — | Miss L. Biddulph | — | — | — | — |
| 1895 | Miss L. Biddulph | 6–1, 6–4 | Miss Fry | — | — | — | — |
| 1894 | Mabel Grant | 6–1, 6–0 | Miss B. Grant | — | — | — | — |
| 1893 | Mabel Grant | 6–1, 6–0 | Mrs MacLagan | — | — | — | — |
| 1892 | Mabel Grant | — | Mrs MacLagan | — | — | — | — |
| 1891 | Mabel Grant | 6–2, 6–0 | Miss Blackburn | — | — | — | — |
Pre-Open Era winners are included for tournament history only. They are excluded from TennisDB match and player statistics, title totals, and leaderboards. The archive follows the women's national South African Championships/Open lineage, with the Boer War and world-war non-editions shown explicitly. Sources: National Museum South African lawn tennis history, South African Open finals tables.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Where is South African Open held?
- South African Open is held in Johannesburg, South Africa.
- Who won the most recent South African Open?
- The 1984 South African Open was won by Chris Evert, who defeated Andrea Jaeger 6-3 6-0.
- Who has won the most South African Open titles?
- Margaret Court has won 3 South African Open titles, the most by any player in the Open Era (since 1968).
- When was the first South African Open played?
- The first edition of South African Open was held in 1891.
- What surface is South African Open played on?
- South African Open is played on hard courts.