The 9 US women to win the Australian Open title: ft Madison Keys, Serena Williams
Nine US women have lifted the Australian Open since the start of the Open Era in 1968, with Madison Keys finding herself in esteemed company.
Barbara Jordan – 1979
The first US woman to lift the title in the Open Era, Jordan won her sole Slam title at the Australian Open in 1979 – and remains one of the most surprising major winners of the Open Era.
Former world No 55 Jordan – the fifth seed in Melbourne – beat future great Hana Mandlikova on her way to the final, where she defeated compatriot Sharon Walsh 6-3, 6-3.
It was the only time she made it past the third round of a Slam.
Martina Navratilova – 1981, 1983, 1985
Navratilova’s appearances Down Under were few and far between, but the tennis icon still lifted the title three times.
The Czech-born American defeated Chris Evert in a thrilling three-set 1981 final and again beat her great rival to lift her final title in Melbourne in 1985.
Navratilova overcame Kathy Jordan – sister of Barbara – in the 1983 final, while she was also a runner-up in 1982 and 1987 under the US flag.
Chris Evert – 1982, 1984
Former world No 1 Evert reached the final in all six of her Australian Open appearances, lifting the title twice.
After defeat to Navratilova in the 1981 final, Evert earned revenge over her legendary rival in the 1982 final to complete the Career Grand Slam.
The American rallied from a set down to defeat Helena Sukova in the 1984 final for her second and final title; she was also a runner-up in 1974, 1985, and 1988.
Monica Seles – 1996
Having won three straight titles representing Yugoslavia from 1991-93, tennis legend Seles returned representing the US in 1996 to lift her fourth title – and the last of her nine majors.
Seles rallied to beat Chanda Rubin in an epic three-set semi-final, before defeating eighth seed and friend Anke Huber 6-4, 6-1 to triumph.
It extended an incredible run for Seles, who won the title on her first four appearances in Melbourne.
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Lindsay Davenport – 2000
2025 marks 25 years since Davenport won her third and final Grand Slam singles title at the Australian Open in 2000.
Davenport defeated unseeded semi-finalist Jennifer Capriati to reach her first final in Melbourne, where she snapped Martina Hingis’ 27-match win streak at the Australian Open with a 6-1, 7-5 victory.
She would again reach the final in 2005, falling to Serena Williams.
Jennifer Capriati – 2001-02
One of just two American women to successfully defend the Australian Open title, former world No 1 Capriati won two of her three majors Down Under.
Seeded 12th, Capriati downed Davenport in the last four – a rematch of the 2000 semi-final – before defeating Hingis 6-4, 6-3 to lift her first major.
Twelve months later, she rallied from a set and a double break down to defeat Hingis 4-6, 7-6(7), 6-2 to lift her second title – having saved four championship points.
Serena Williams – 2003, 2005, 2007, 2009-10, 2015, 2017
No woman in the Open Era has won as many titles in Melbourne as Williams, who lifted the title seven times across her career.
Williams defeated older sister Venus to lift her first title in 2003 and then beat former champion Davenport to claim her second title two years later.
She thrashed Maria Sharapova in the 2007 final and then sealed back-to-back titles in 2009 and 2010, defeating Dinara Safina and Justine Henin respectively.
Williams then beat Sharapova in the 2015 final, and her sister in 2017 to win her final major.
Sofia Kenin – 2020
Kenin’s triumph in 2020 briefly made her the most recent US woman to lift the title in Melbourne.
The 14th seed stunned top seed Ashleigh Barty in the last four, before rallying from a set down to beat former world No 1 Garbine Muguruza 4-6, 6-2, 6-2 to prevail Down Under.
Kenin would reach the French Open final later that year but has won just one match in Melbourne since her triumph, losing in the opening round the past four years.
Madison Keys – 2025
Keys made history with her epic Australian Open triumph in 2025.
The US star became the oldest first-time women’s singles champion in the tournament’s history, beating world No 2 Iga Swiatek in the semi-final and world No 1 Aryna Sabalenka in the final.
It was a second major final for Keys, who was beaten at the 2017 US Open.
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