Australian Open: The 9 greatest men’s singles champions – ranked!
The Australian Open begins in less than one week, with the leading ATP Tour stars looking to win the men’s singles title in Melbourne.
Whoever does lift the title will be following in the footsteps of all-time greats to have claimed the title Down Under.
Looking at titles won, overall impact, and legacy, we rank the nine greatest Australian Open men’s singles winners of the Open Era.
9) Ken Rosewall
Titles: 1971-72
The oldest Australian Open champion of the Open Era, Aussie icon Rosewall kicks off our countdown.
Having twice won the amateur Australian Championships in the 1950s, the tennis great returned to the event as a professional and became the first man in the Open Era to successfully defend the title.
Rosewall defeated reigning champion Arthur Ashe in the 1971 final, before downing compatriot Mal Anderson in 1972.
8) Jim Courier
Titles: 1992-93
One of the most successful players of the 1990s, Courier is one of just two American men to have successfully defended the men’s title in Melbourne.
Months after winning his first Grand Slam at the 1991 French Open, Courier defeated top seed and world No 1 Edberg in four sets to lift the Australian Open title.
Twelve months later, Courier would again topple the Swede – again in four sets – to capture the final of his four Grand Slam titles.
7) Ivan Lendl
Titles: 1989-90
Finals: 1983, 1991
A dominant figure of the men’s game across the 1980s and early 1990s, Czech great Lendl secured back-to-back triumphs at Melbourne Park in 1989 and 1990.
Having previously lost the 1983 final, Lendl finally lifted the title in 1989, thrashing compatriot Miloslav Mecir for the loss of just six games in one of the tournament’s most one-sided championship matches.
The former world No 1 then successfully defended his title in 1990 after Edberg retired injured in the 1990 final, before reaching the final for a fourth time in 1991.
6) Stefan Edberg
Titles: 1985, 1987
Finals: 1990, 1992-93
The Australian Open was Edberg’s most successful Slam, with five of the Swede’s 11 Grand Slam singles finals coming Down Under.
Edberg was just a teenager when he won his first title in 1985, defeating compatriot and two-time defending champion Wilander in straight sets to capture his first major.
The tournament was not held in 1986 but Edberg returned in 1987 and downed Pat Cash in a five-set thriller to triumph once again, before securing runner-up finishes in 1990, 1992, and 1993.
5) Mats Wilander
Titles: 1983-84, 1988
Finals: 1985
One of just four men to win the title more than twice in the Open Era, Swedish star Wilander won three of his seven Grand Slam singles titles at the Australian Open.
He overcame long-time rival Lendl to win his first title in 1983 and then fended off Kevin Curren to complete a successful title defence the following year.
After falling in the 1985 final to Edberg, Wilander bounced back and kickstarted his historic 1988 season by beating home favourite Cash in five sets to regain his crown.
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4) Rafael Nadal
Titles: 2009, 2022
Finals: 2012, 2014, 2017, 2019
Nadal only won the title twice but made an extraordinary impact while competing in Melbourne across his career.
The Spaniard famously beat Roger Federer in a legendary five-set final in 2009 to claim his first title, though struggled to add to his haul – losing four finals across the next decade.
But few can forget his extraordinary victory at the tournament three years ago, where he rallied from the brink of defeat to stun Daniil Medvedev and complete the double Career Grand Slam.
3) Andre Agassi
Titles: 1995, 2000-01, 2003
Only two men have won more Australian Open titles in the Open Era than Agassi, who lifted four of his eight Grand Slam singles titles inside the Rod Laver Arena.
Continuing a run of US success, he defeated chief rival and reigning champion Pete Sampras in four sets to lift the title for the first time in 1995.
However, his greatest successes came in the early 2000s, when he won the title three times in the space of four years.
Agassi beat Yevgney Kafelnikov and Arnaud Clement to triumph in the 2000 and 2001 finals respectively, before dating Rainer Schuttler in the 2003 final for his final major victory.
2) Roger Federer
Titles: 2004, 2006-07, 2010, 2017-18
Finals: 2009
His most successful Slam outside of Wimbledon, Federer is a six-time champion Down Under.
Federer’s Australian Open success began with defeating Marat Safin in the 2004 final, and he then defeated Marcos Baghdatis and Fernando Gonzalez to seal consecutive victories in 2006 and 2007.
After tasting defeat in the final for the first time in 2009, the Swiss bounced back to defeat Andy Murray in the 2010 final.
And few can forget his extraordinary triumphs in 2017 and 2018, ending his wait for an 18th major by downing Nadal in a five-set classic before defeating Marin Cilic 12 months later.
1) Novak Djokovic
Titles: 2008, 2011-13, 2015-16, 2019-21, 2023
With a staggering 10 Australian Open titles to his name, could anyone else other than Djokovic have been No 1 on his list?
The Serbian won his first major at the tournament in 2008, defeating surprise finalist Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, and then defeated Murray in 2011 for his second crown in Murray.
That started a run of three straight titles for Djokovic, beating Nadal in 2012 and Murray in 2013, before again overcoming the Brit in the 2015 and 2016 championship matches.
Returning to form, Djokovic beat Nadal, Dominic Thiem, and Daniil Medvedev to capture three straight titles from 2019-21, and then beat Stefanos Tsitsipas for his most recent triumph in 2023.
With 10 titles and a bucketload of records to his name, Djokovic is undoubtedly the greatest Australian Open men’s singles champion.
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