The 5 women to win three consecutive Australian Open titles: Aryna Sabalenka looks to join Steffi Graf on list
World No 1 Aryna Sabalenka is the two-time reigning Australian Open champion — and she could join an elite club of women to win the tournament three times in a row in 2025.
The 26-year-old Belarusian beat Elena Rybakina in the 2022 Australian Open final to win her maiden major before seeing off Zheng Qinwen in the 2023 title match. Sabalenka, a dominant force on hard courts, is the favourite to complete a hattrick of titles in Melbourne.
Here are the five players who have won three successive Australian Open women’s singles titles in the Open Era.
Margaret Court – 1969-1971
Having collected seven straight Australian Open titles between 1960 and 1966, Margaret Court won the first three editions of her home major held in the Open Era.
To win these three finals, Court defeated Billie Jean King 6-4, 6-1 in 1969, Kerry Melville 6-1, 6-3 in 1970 and Evonne Goolagong 2-6, 7-6(0), 7-5 in 1971.
The Aussie added her 11th and final Australian Open title in 1973, leaving her with a record that still stands.
Evonne Goolagong – 1974-1976
Evonne Goolagong lost three Australian Open championship matches in a row in 1971, 1972 and 1973 before lifting the title at each of the subsequent three editions.
In her three finals, Goolagong overcame Chris Evert 7-6(5), 4-6, 6-0 in 1974, Martina Navratilova 6-3, 6-2 in 1975 and Renata Tomanova 6-2, 6-2 in 1976.
The Australian secured her fourth and last Australian Open crown in 1977 (the second Australian Open held in 1977, in December, due to a date change).
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Steffi Graf – 1988-1990
Steffi Graf collected the second of her 22 Grand Slam titles at the 1988 Australian Open and she successfully defended her crown in Melbourne in the following two years.
For her three consecutive victories in finals, Graf downed Chris Evert 6-1, 7-6(3) in 1988, Helena Sukova 6-4, 6-4 in 1989 and Mary Joe Fernandez 6-3, 6-4 in 1990.
The German claimed her fourth and final Daphne Akhurst Memorial Cup in 1994.
Monica Seles – 1991-1993
After Graf’s Australian Open hattrick, Monica Seles emulated her great rival with her own streak of three successive titles at the Melbourne Grand Slam between 1991 and 1993.
To win her three finals, Seles earned a 5-7, 6-3, 6-1 win over Jana Novotna in 1991, a 6-2, 6-3 triumph against Mary Joe Fernandez in 1992 and a 4-6, 6-3, 6-2 win over Graf in 1993.
The Yugoslavian-American added her fourth and last Australian Open title in 1996.
Martina Hingis – 1997-1999
Martina Hingis secured all three of her Australian Open crowns in consecutive years between 1997 and 1999.
The Swiss won each of these championship matches in convincing fashion: 6-2, 6-2 against Mary Pierce in 1997; 6-3, 6-3 against Conchita Martinez in 1998; and 6-2, 6-3 against Amelie Mauresmo in 1999.
Hingis was then a runner-up at the hard-court major in 2000, 2001 and 2002.
