# South African Open — Title History

Source: https://tennis-db.com/wta/tournaments/wta_archive:south-african-open/south-african-open/history
Tour: WTA

Category presentation: Arrows show an edition's recorded category and documented modern equivalent; unresolved editions keep their recorded category.
Details: https://tennis-db.com/glossary#category-equivalence

Archive scope: Pre-Open Era winners are included for tournament history only. They are excluded from TennisDB match and player statistics, title totals, and leaderboards.
Archive lineage: The archive follows the women's national South African Championships/Open lineage, with the Boer War and world-war non-editions shown explicitly.
Historical source: [National Museum South African lawn tennis history](https://nationalmuseumpublications.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Snyders_2025_Indago_SALawnTennis-1.pdf)
Historical source: [South African Open finals tables](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/South_African_Open_(tennis))

## Summary
- Total editions: 78
- First edition: 1891
- Latest edition: 1984

## Most titles
- 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.*

## Champions by year
| Season | Champion | Runner-up | Score | Category |
| ---: | :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- |
| 1984 | Chris Evert | Andrea Jaeger | 6-3 6-0 | WTA 250 |
| 1981 | Kathy Horvath | Kathy Rinaldi Stunkel | 7-6(4) 6-4 | WTA 250 |
| 1980 | Lesley Charles | Rene Uys | 7-5 6-4 | WTA 250 |
| 1979 | Brigette Cuypers | Tanya Harford | 7-6 6-2 | WTA 250 |
| 1977 | Linky Boshoff | Brigette Cuypers | 6-4 6-1 | WTA 250 |
| 1976 | Brigette Cuypers | Laura Dupont | 6-7(7) 6-4 6-1 | WTA 250 |
| 1975 | Annette Van Zyl | Brigette Cuypers | 6-2 3-6 6-4 | WTA 250 |
| 1974 | Kerry Reid | Dianne Fromholtz | 6-3 7-5 | WTA 250 |
| 1973 | Chris Evert | Evonne Goolagong | 6-3 6-3 | WTA 250 |
| 1972 | Evonne Goolagong | Virginia Wade | 4-6 6-3 6-0 | WTA 250 |
| 1971 | Margaret Court | Evonne Goolagong | 6-3 6-1 | WTA 250 |
| 1970 | Margaret Court | Billie Jean King | 6-4 1-6 6-3 | WTA 250 |
| 1969 | Billie Jean King | Nancy Richey | 6-3 6-4 | WTA 250 |
| 1968 | Margaret Court | Virginia Wade | 6-4 6-4 | WTA 250 |
| 1967 | Billie Jean King | Maria Bueno | 7–5, 5–7, 6–2 | — |
| 1966 | Billie Jean King | Margaret Court | 6–3, 6–2 | — |
| 1965 | Christine Truman | Annette Van Zyl | 6–2, 6–3 | — |
| 1964 | Darlene Hard | Ann Haydon-Jones | 6–3, 7–5 | — |
| 1963 | Annette Van Zyl | Margaret Hunt | 6–4, 2–6, 6–3 | — |
| 1962 | Heather Brewer-Segal | Jean Forbes | 6–1, 7–5 | — |
| 1961 | Sandra Reynolds | Lynette Hutchings | 6–4, 7–5 | — |
| 1960 | Bernice Vukovich | Sandra Reynolds | 6–1, 2–6, 12–10 | — |
| 1959 | Sandra Reynolds | Bernice Vukovich (Carr) | 6–0, 8–6 | — |
| 1958 | Bernice Carr | Heather Brewer-Segal | 3–6, 7–5, 6–4 | — |
| 1957 | Heather Brewer | Gwendy Love | 8–10, 6–2, 6–3 | — |
| 1956 | Dora Kilian | Gwendy Love | 4–6, 7–5, 6–4 | — |
| 1955 | Hazel Redick-Smith | Lucille van der Westhuizen | 6–4, 6–3 | — |
| 1954 | Hazel Redick-Smith | Gwendy Love | 4–6, 6–3, 6–2 | — |
| 1953 | Hazel Redick-Smith | Julia Wipplinger | 6–2, 6–2 | — |
| 1952 | Doris Hart | Julia Wipplinger | 6–1, 7–5 | — |
| 1951 | Sheila Summers | Hazel Redick-Smith | 8–6, 2–6, 7–5 | — |
| 1950 | Shirley Fry | Doris Hart | 4–6, 7–5, 6–3 | — |
| 1949 | Sheila Summers | Thelma Long | 6–1, 6–1 | — |
| 1948 | Sheila Summers | Kay Menzies | 6–1, 6–4 | — |
| 1947 | Mary D. Muller | Sheila Piercey Summers | 6–2, 6–8, 6–2 | — |
| 1946 | Mary D. Muller | Mrs O. Plessis | 6–4, 6–4 | — |
| 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 | Sheila Piercey | 4–6, 6–4, 6–4 | — |
| 1939 | Olive Craze | Sheila Piercey | 4–6, 6–3, 6–4 | — |
| 1938 | Billie Tapscott Robbins | Olive Craze | 6–4, 6–4 | — |
| 1937 | Bobbie Heine Miller | Alida Neave | 6–4, 4–6, 6–0 | — |
| 1936 | Bobbie Heine Miller | Mrs V. Everett | 6–2, 4–6, 6–4 | — |
| 1935 | Mrs A. Allister | Billie Tapscott Robbins | 6–4, 6–3 | — |
| 1934 | Billie Tapscott Robbins | Mrs W.N. Lowe | 6–0, 6–3 | — |
| 1933 | Billie Tapscott Robbins | Mrs W.N. Lowe | 6–4, 3–6, 6–1 | — |
| 1932 | Bobbie Heine Miller | Mrs W.N. Lowe (Miller) | 6–0, 6–3 | — |
| 1931 | Bobbie Heine | Miss W.N. Miller | 6–3, 6–3 | — |
| 1930 | Billie Tapscott | Mrs V. Everett | 7–5, 6–2 | — |
| 1929 | Mrs M. McJannett | Miss W.N. Miller | 7–5, 6–2 | — |
| 1928 | Bobbie Heine | Billie Tapscott | 8–6, 6–3 | — |
| 1927 | Mrs M. McJannett | Mrs V. Everett | 12–10, 6–4 | — |
| 1926 | Irene Peacock | Miss A. de Smit | 6–2, 6–1 | — |
| 1925 | Irene Peacock | Mrs L. McArthur | 5–7, 6–1, 6–1 | — |
| 1924 | Irene Peacock | Mrs L. McArthur | 7–5, 6–4 | — |
| 1923 | Mrs C.K. Pitt | Mrs D.R.Moor | 6–4, 6–3 | — |
| 1922 | Mrs M. McJannett | Miss J. Parker | 6–2, 6–2 | — |
| 1921 | Miss N. Edwards | Mrs W.F. du Plessis | 6–1, 6–2 | — |
| 1920 | Olive Winslow (Mathias) | Miss Phillips | 6–3, 7–5 | — |
| 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 | Mrs H.A. Kirby | 3–6, 6–2, 6–2 | — |
| 1913 | Miss M. Coles | Miss M. Kelly | 6–3, 9–7 | — |
| 1912 | Mrs H.A. Kirby | Olive Mathias | 6–2, 6–0 | — |
| 1911 | Mrs G. Washington | Miss M. Kelly | 6–0, 6–1 | — |
| 1910 | Mrs H.A. Kirby | Mrs J Reid | 6–1, 6–2 | — |
| 1909 | Mrs G. Washington | Miss Edwards | 6–2, 7–9, 6–4 | — |
| 1908 | Miss M. Kelly | Mrs Gillmore | 6–2, 6–1 | — |
| 1907 | Mrs H.A. Kirby | Mrs R.H.Miller | 6–1, 4–6, 6–2 | — |
| 1906 | Mrs H.A. Kirby | Mrs Greatwood | 7–5, 6–2 | — |
| 1905 | Mrs H.A. Kirby | Mrs S.B.Syfret | 6–2, 6–0 | — |
| 1904 | Mrs H.A. Kirby | Mrs M. Nevill (Grant) | 6–4, 5–7, 6–4 | — |
| 1903 | Miss F. Kuys | Mrs Mackay | 6–0, 6–2 | — |
| 1902 | Singles event not held | ? |  | — |
| 1901 | Singles event not held | ? |  | — |
| 1900 | Singles event not held | ? |  | — |
| 1899 | Miss N. Hickman | Mrs H. Green | 6–8, 6–2, 6–3 | — |
| 1898 | Miss N. Hickman | Miss L. Biddulph |  | — |
| 1897 | Miss N. Hickman | Mrs H. Green | 7–9, 12–10, 6–2 | — |
| 1896 | Mrs H. Green | Miss L. Biddulph |  | — |
| 1895 | Miss L. Biddulph | Miss Fry | 6–1, 6–4 | — |
| 1894 | Mabel Grant | Miss B. Grant | 6–1, 6–0 | — |
| 1893 | Mabel Grant | Mrs MacLagan | 6–1, 6–0 | — |
| 1892 | Mabel Grant | Mrs MacLagan |  | — |
| 1891 | Mabel Grant | Miss Blackburn | 6–2, 6–0 | — |

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Canonical URL: https://tennis-db.com/wta/tournaments/wta_archive:south-african-open/south-african-open/history
Data source: TennisDB (tennis-db.com)