List of Australian Open men's singles champions
The Australian Open[lower-alpha 1][lower-alpha 2] is an annual tennis tournament created in 1905 and (since 1988) played on outdoor hardcourts[lower-alpha 3][lower-alpha 4] at Melbourne Park in Melbourne, Australia.[7] The Australian Open is played over a two-week period beginning in mid-January and has been chronologically the first of the four Grand Slam tournaments each year since 1987. The event was not held from 1916 to 1918 because of World War I, from 1941 to 1945 because of World War II and in 1986.[2][8] The timing of the Australian Open has changed several times. In 1977, the date of the final moved from January to December, which resulted in having two Australian Opens in 1977; there was a January edition and a December edition that year.[9] The originally planned December 1986 edition was moved forward to January 1987, resulting in no Australian Open in 1986.[10][11] The Australian Open was an Open Era event for the first time in 1969. One year previously in 1968 the French Open, Wimbledon and the US Open were Open Era events for the first time.
Location | Melbourne Australia |
---|---|
Venue | Melbourne Park |
Governing body | Tennis Australia |
Created | 1905 (established) |
Editions | 109 events (2021) 53 events (Open Era) |
Surface | Grass (1905–1987) Hard (1988–present) Rebound Ace (1988–2007) Plexicushion (2008–2019) GreenSet (2020–present) |
Prize money | A$ $2,975,000 (2023)[1] |
Trophy | Norman Brookes Challenge Cup |
Website | australianopen.com |
Most titles | |
Amateur era | 6: Roy Emerson |
Open era | 10: Novak Djokovic |
Most consecutive titles | |
Amateur era | 5: Roy Emerson |
Open era | 3: Novak Djokovic |
Current champion | |
Novak Djokovic (10th title) |
History
Christchurch and Hastings, New Zealand, and Perth, Brisbane, Adelaide, Sydney and Melbourne, Australia, have hosted the men's singles event. The event switched cities every year before it settled in 1972 in Melbourne. The event was held at the Kooyong Stadium before moving to Melbourne Park in 1988.[2]
The Australian Open court surface changed once, from grass courts to hardcourts in 1988.[2][4][5] Mats Wilander was the only player to win the event on both surfaces; twice on grass and once on hardcourt.
The men's singles rules have undergone several changes since the first edition. This event has always been contested in a knockout format, and all matches have been best-of-five sets except in 1970, 1973, and 1974, when the first round was best-of-three sets, and in 1982, when the third and fourth round were best-of-three sets.[7] Since 1905, all sets have been decided in the advantage format. The lingering death best-of-twelve points tie-break was introduced in 1971 and has been used for the first four sets since then, except from 1980 to 1982, when the tie-break was also played in fifth sets.[7][12]
The champion receives a miniature replica of the silver-gilt Norman Brookes Challenge Cup, named after the 1911 champion and former Lawn Tennis Association of Australia (LTAA) president, and modeled after the Warwick Vase.[13]
In the Australasian Championships, James Anderson holds the records for most titles with three (1922, 1924–1925), and the most consecutive titles with two (1924–1925). In the Australian Championships, Roy Emerson holds the records for most titles with six (1961, 1963–1967) and most consecutive titles with five (1963–1967).[8] The inclusion of professional tennis players in 1969 marked the competition's entry into the Open Era, in which Novak Djokovic (2008, 2011–2013, 2015–2016, 2019–2021, 2023) holds the record for most titles with ten. The Open Era record for most consecutive titles is three by Djokovic (2011–2013 and 2019–2021).[8] This event was won without losing a set during the Open Era by Rosewall in 1971 and Federer in 2007.
Champions
Australian Championships
![A black-haired man in a white shirt with sleeves rolled up looks into the camera, posing](../I/James_Anderson_at_the_1922_Davis_Cup.jpg.webp)
![A man in a white clothing with a wooden tennis racket](../I/Jack_Crawford_1938_(cropped).jpg.webp)
![](../I/Ken_Rosewall_portrait.jpg.webp)
![](../I/Roy_Emerson_1969_(cropped).jpg.webp)
Australian Open
![Andre Agassi practicing in Indian Wells, California, USA, on Sunday 12 March 2006.](../I/Andre_Agassi_Indian_Wells_2006.jpg.webp)
![A brown-haired man in a light blue polo shirt and both white wristband and bandanna with a light blue nike logo, who is hitting a backhand with the tennis ball in the foreground](../I/R_federer.jpg.webp)
![A brown-haired man in a white tennis shirt with light blue sections and red stripes with the trophy](../I/Novak_Djokovic_AO_win_2011.jpg.webp)
Statistics
Multiple champions
Champions by country
Country | Amateur Era | Open Era | All-time | First title | Last title |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
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44 | 6 | 50 | 1905 | 1976 |
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4 | 14 | 18 | 1908 | 2003 |
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0 | 10 | 10 | 2008 | 2023 |
![]() |
0 | 7 | 7 | 2004 | 2018 |
![]() |
0 | 6 | 6 | 1983 | 2002 |
![]() |
5 | 0 | 5 | 1912 | 1934 |
![]() |
0 | 2 | 2 | 1978 | 1979 |
![]() |
0 | 2 | 2 | 1989 | 1990 |
![]() |
0 | 2 | 2 | 1991 | 1996 |
![]() |
2 | 0 | 2 | 1906 | 1909 |
![]() |
0 | 2 | 2 | 1999 | 2005 |
![]() |
0 | 2 | 2 | 2009 | 2022 |
![]() |
0 | 1 | 1 | 1981 | 1981 |
![]() |
0 | 1 | 1 | 1998 | 1998 |
![]() |
1 | 0 | 1 | 1928 | 1928 |
See also
Australian Open other competitions
- List of Australian Open women's singles champions
- List of Australian Open men's doubles champions
- List of Australian Open women's doubles champions
- List of Australian Open mixed doubles champions
Grand Slam men's singles
Notes
- Known as the Australasian Championships (1905–1926) and as the Australian Championships (1927–1968) during the Amateur Era.[2]
- The tournament entered the Open Era with the 1969 edition, allowing professional players to compete alongside amateurs.[2]
- Since 1988, Rod Laver Arena features a retractable roof and lights, allowing indoor and night-time play.[3]
- The Australian Open specifically uses Plexicushion Prestige hardcourts, categorized as a "Medium" speed surface by the International Tennis Federation (ITF).[4][5][6]
- Each year is linked to an article about that particular event's draw.
- The tournament was not held from 1941 to 1945 because of World War II.[8]
- Although he competed for the US in Davis Cup, Alex Olmedo was still a Peruvian citizen.[15][16]
- Two Australian Opens were in held in 1977 because of a date change, the first in January and the second in December.[9]
- Johan Kriek won his first title as a South African, but his last title was as an American.
- The tournament was not held in 1986 because of a date change. See 1986 Australian Open tournament.[10][11]
- Ivan Lendl won the final after Stefan Edberg was forced to retire due to a pulled abdominal muscle.[17]
- Three wins by players from the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland (1801–1922), plus two wins by players from the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (1922–present).
- Czechoslovakia (TCH, 1918–1992), does not include the totals of Czech Republic (CZE, 1993–present) and Slovakia (SVK, 1993–present).
- Czech Republic (CZE, 1993–present), does not include the totals of Czechoslovakia (TCH, 1918–1992), or Slovakia (SVK, 1993–present).
References
General
- "Grand Slam Tournaments – Australian Open" (PDF). usta.com. United States Tennis Association. Archived from the original (PDF) on 9 July 2013. Retrieved 1 July 2009.
- "List of Australian Open men's champions". ESPN. Reuters. 1 February 2009. Retrieved 1 July 2009.
Specific
- "Australian Open prize money hits record high". Event Guide: Prize Money. Tennis Australia. Archived from the original on 29 January 2023. Retrieved 29 December 2022.
- Foenander, Tristan. "History of the Australian Open – the Grand Slam of Asia/Pacific". australianopen.com. IBM, Tennis Australia. Archived from the original on 25 May 2009. Retrieved 1 July 2009.
- "Rod Laver Arena". mopt.com.au. Melbourne & Olympic Parks. Archived from the original on 13 September 2009. Retrieved 2 August 2009.
- Schlink, Leo (14 January 2008). "Plexicushion replaces Rebound Ace at Australian Open". Herald Sun. The Herald and Weekly Times. Retrieved 1 July 2009.
- Bevan, Chris (11 January 2008). "On-court blues for Aussie tennis?". BBC Sport. Retrieved 1 July 2009.
- "List of Classified Court Surfaces". itftennis.com. ITF Licensing. Retrieved 1 August 2009.
- "Tournament profile – Australian Open". atpworldtour.com. ATP Tour, Inc. Retrieved 5 July 2009.
- "Grand Slam Tournaments – Australian Open" (PDF). usta.com. United States Tennis Association. Archived from the original (PDF) on 20 May 2011. Retrieved 1 July 2009.
- "1977 Grand Slam calendar". atpworldtour.com. ATP Tour, Inc. Archived from the original on 10 July 2009. Retrieved 1 July 2009.
- "1986 Grand Slam calendar". atpworldtour.com. ATP Tour, Inc. Archived from the original on 10 July 2009. Retrieved 1 July 2009.
- "Australian Open – History – Year-by-year". australianopen.com. IBM, Tennis Australia. Archived from the original on 3 August 2009. Retrieved 1 July 2009.
- "Roddick survives 83-game epic". The Guardian. London. 22 January 2003. Retrieved 1 July 2009.
- Vaughan, Gerard (17 January 2005). "Trophy has roots in an 18th-century antiquity". The Age. The Age Company Ltd. Retrieved 1 July 2009.
- "Australian Open champions". ausopen.com. Archived from the original on 2 August 2022.
- "Aching, Victorious Olmedo to Forsake Tennis for Study". Chicago Tribune. Tribune Interactive, Inc. 27 January 1959. Retrieved 2 August 2009.
- "List of Australian Open men's champions". ESPN. Reuters. 1 February 2009. Retrieved 1 July 2009.
- Bick, Nina (29 January 1990). "Lendl Wins Title as Edberg Pulls Out". The New York Times. Retrieved 2 August 2009.