The Australian Open’s 3 unseeded champions – featuring Serena Williams
Serena Williams is just one of three unseeded players to win an Australian Open singles title since the start of the Open Era.
We look at Williams’ journey to the title in 2007, and the paths her fellow unseeded winners took to be crowned in Melbourne.
Mark Edmondson – 1976 (Men’s singles)
Almost five decades ago, Edmondson became the first unseeded Australian Open men’s singles champion of the Open Era – and the lowest-ranked male Grand Slam winner of all time.
Ranked 212th in the world at the time of his victory, the Australian – the last home player to lift the men’s singles title in Melbourne – set a record that will surely never be broken.
In the 64-player draw, Edmondson knocked out five seeds, starting with fifth seed and former runner-up Phil Dent in the second round.
The 21-year-old would go on to stun top seed and tennis legend Ken Rosewall in four sets in the semi-final, before shocking second seed and Aussie great John Newcombe to lift the title.
It was the first of six career singles titles for Edmondson, who reached a career-high of world No 15 and made the last four of Wimbledon in 1982; he was also a five-time doubles major winner.
Road to the title
R1: def Peter Feigl 1-6, 6-4, 6-7, 6-4, 6-1
R2: def (5) Phil Dent 6-0, 6-4, 4-6, 6-3
R3: def (12) Brian Fairlie 3-6, 6-3, 6-1, 6-4
QF: def (13) Dick Crealy 7-5, 7-6, 6-2
SF: def (1) Ken Rosewall 6-1, 2-6, 6-2, 6-4
F: def (2) John Newcombe 6-7, 6-3, 7-6, 6-1
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Chris O’Neil – 1978 (Women’s singles)
Until Ashleigh Barty’s victory in 2022, O’Neil remained the last home player to lift the women’s singles title at the Australian Open, doing so in 1978.
With several big names choosing not to play, world No 110 O’Neil stormed through the draw without dropping a set to lift the title.
The 22-year-old beat third seed Elizabeth Norton as early as the second round, and would ultimately go on to defeat eighth seed Betsy Nagelsen in straight sets to capture the title.
It was O’Neil’s only Slam title and also her only career singles title, with the Australian peaking at 80th in the world rankings.
“I feel very fortunate to have won and this year’s field was not as strong as in past years,” said the Australian at the time.
Road to the title
R1: def Leanne Harrison 6-2, 6-4
R2: def (3) Elizabeth Norton 6-4, 6-3
QF: def Dorte Ekner 7-5, 6-1
SF: def Dianne Evers 6-0, 6-3
F: def (8) Betsy Nagelsen 6-3, 7-6(3)
Serena Williams – 2007 (Women’s singles)
Williams holds an Open Era record of seven women’s singles titles Down Under and 23 major singles titles overall, but few of her triumphs were as memorable as her 2007 Australian Open win.
After struggling with injuries and mental health issues across 2005 and 2006, the American was down at 81st in the rankings heading into the tournament and was not considered a title contender by most.
However, the 2003 and 2005 champion battled from the brink of defeat to beat fifth seed Nadia Petrova in the third round and then eased past 11th seed Jelena Jankovic in the round of 16.
Williams then edged past 16th seed Shahar Pe’er in a dramatic three-set quarterfinal before downing 10th seed Nicole Vaidisova in straight sets to book a final versus top seed and rival Maria Sharapova.
Sharapova was widely backed to triumph but Williams produced some of the best tennis of her career, thrashing the Russian 6-1, 6-2 to capture what was her eighth Grand Slam singles title.
Road to the title
R1: def (27) Mara Santangelo 6-2, 6-1
R2: def Anne Kremer 7-6(4), 6-2
R3: def (5) Nadia Petrova 1-6, 7-5, 6-3
R4: def (11) Jelena Jankovic 6-3, 6-2
QF: def (16) Shahar Pe’er 3-6, 6-2, 8-6
SF: def (10) Nicole Vaidisova 7-6(2), 6-4
F: def (1) Maria Sharapova 6-1, 6-2
