The Australian Open is one of the most prestigious tennis tournaments in the world. It is not too long until we get to the 2025 edition of the tournament – in the UK or U.S.A., this might mean setting an alarm to watch the games.
When the tournament rolls around just after Christmas it is something watched in every continent and over the years it has been dominated by some of the sport’s greatest players. Both the men’s and women’s singles competitions have seen incredible talents secure multiple titles, establishing their legacies as legends of tennis.
Previewing the tournament can help people plan ahead – qualifying for the Open will take place from Monday 8 January to Friday 12 January.
2025 will be a historic Australian Open as the main draw will start on Sunday 14 January and run for 15 days until Sunday 28 January – this is the first time in history this has been the format.
Wheelchair competitions in the Aussie Open start Tuesday 23 January through to Saturday 27 January. Throughout this period expect the tournament to dominate the Australian sports news headlines as it will be the biggest sports event that is going on in the country at the time. Aussies love sports and tennis is among the most popular of all.
The Australian rankings don’t make great reading for the country at the moment with no Aussies featuring anywhere near the top players in the world. Olivia Gadecki and Alex de Minaur could be the best hopes of an Australian getting to the latter stages and the news will be focusing on this closely.
Successful Players in the History of the Aussie Open
Many players have shown themselves to be great on the hard outdoor courts used for the Australian Open. Since the tournament became known as the Open in 1969 it has been harder for people to win multiple tournaments but this is partially down to a few names that have been utterly dominant.
The list of players to win the Australian Open most in the men’s tournament is:
- Novak Djokovic (10 titles so far with the most recent in 2023)
- Roger Federer (six titles in 2004, 2006, 2007, 2010, 2017, 2018)
- Roy Emerson (also six titles in the 1960s)
- Andre Agassi. Ken Rosewall. Jack Crawford (all have four titles in total).
Remember that this spans the Open era as well as beforehand when the Australian Open was not yet an “Open” at all!
For the women’s game tournament, the most wins belong to:
- Margaret Smith Court (11 wins spanning the 60s and 70s)
- Serena Williams (seven wins in the 2000s and 2010s)
- Nancye Wynne Bolton (1937, 1940, 1946, 1947, 1948, 1951)
Two of the top three here are Australian natives.
Let’s explore some of the bios of top players in the history of the tournament.
Novak Djokovic
The last 20 years have been unbelievable for tennis quality – we won’t dwell on who might be the greatest of all time but Novak Djokovic stands out as the most successful men’s player in Australian Open history. The Serbian star has won the men’s singles title a record 10 times.
Djokovic’s dominance on the hard courts of Melbourne Park has been the topic of much debate. His relentless style of play helped with his numerous triumphs. The Australian tournament certainly suits his abilities and the way he plays tennis.
Serbia’s superstar tennis player has often talked about how much he enjoys playing in Melbourne and has called it his second home. Rivalries with players like Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer (also some of the best of the era) have produced some thrilling contests in Australia (and loads of other countries over the last 10-15 years. Djokovic has consistently emerged as the victor (not every time though) and has used the Aussie Open to showcase his ability to perform under pressure.
Margaret Smith Court
Margaret Court remains the most successful player in Australian Open history with 11 singles titles to her name. Court is a Hall-of-Famer and an Australian herself. She dominated the tournament during the 1960s and early 1970s. Her first victory came in 1960 and she went on to win the event multiple times in both the amateur and Open eras. Her final triumph was in 1973 when the Open Era had got underway.
Court’s superstar ability as a player allowed her to adapt to different surfaces and she’s credited as pushing the sport forward. She reached number one in the world and she was particularly unstoppable on the grass courts of the Australian Open (the surface at the time).
Conclusion
Tennis always has its own quirks based on the different surfaces and geographical climates. Djokovic took to this tournament like a duck to water. In recent times he has dominated the game but historically plenty of other players have been kings and queens of the Open.
