5 classic Australian Open women’s singles finals – ahead of Sabalenka vs Keys

The 2025 Australian Open women’s singles final is set, with Aryna Sabalenka and Madison Keys set to do battle inside the Rod Laver Arena.
Ahead of Saturday’s final, we look back at five of the greatest Australian Open women’s singles finals of the Open Era.
1981: Martina Navratilova def Chris Evert 6-7(4), 6-4, 7-5
Tennis icons Navratilova and Evert met in a record 14 Grand Slam singles finals and their clash at the 1981 Australian Open was among the very best of their staggering 80 WTA meetings.
On the grass courts of Kooyong, both top seed Evert and third seed Navratilova had cruised through to the final, with just one set dropped between them – by Navratilova in the third round.
A tense first set culminated in Evert taking in a tiebreak, only for her rival to battle back and prevail in three long, high-quality sets.
Evert turned the tables and beat Navratilova in the 1982 final before the Czech-born US star prevailed in their 1985 final.
1993: Monica Seles def Steffi Graf 4-6, 6-3, 6-2
Graf and Seles had swept the Australian Open since it moved to the hard courts of Melbourne Park in 1988 and the two dominant forces of the early 1990s faced off in a legendary 1993 final.
This was the fourth Grand Slam final between the two and it was Graf, looking to win the title for the first time since 1990, who struck first in her quest for a fourth triumph at the event.
However, Seles responded, breaking early in set two and holding off the German’s response to force a decider – in which she was in full flight, enabling her to win a third straight title.
It maintained Seles’ unbeaten record in Melbourne, and the former world No 1 would win 33 straight Australian Open matches before her first defeat in 1999.
2002: Jennifer Capriati def Martina Hingis 4-6, 7-6(7), 6-2
One of the most dramatic finals in Grand Slam history saw Capriati defend her Australian Open title against Hingis, a rematch of the final from 2001.
Hingis was in her sixth straight final Down Under and, looking for her first major title since 1999, seemed in cruise control at 6-4, 4-0 up as the temperature soared in Melbourne.
However, defying the gruelling conditions, Capriati battled back and saved four championship points to force a decider – which she would ultimately run away with.
It was the last Grand Slam singles final for both women, with Hingis retiring a year later due to ankle issues and Capriati calling time on her career in 2004.
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2016: Angelique Kerber def Serena Williams 6-4, 3-6, 6-4
One of the most surprising results in an Australian Open final saw seventh seed Kerber – who had previously struggled at Slams – stun world No 1 Williams in 2016.
In her first major final, the German showed few signs of nerves as an impressive start to the match saw move one set up against the six-time champion.
Williams roared back and looked in pole position to successfully defend her title as she forced a deciding set, which would ebb and flow in both directions.
The German looked to be crumbling as she blew a 5-2 lead, but broke at the death to claim what was the first of three Grand Slam victories.
2019: Naomi Osaka def Petra Kvitova 7-6(2), 5-7, 6-4
Modern-day greats Osaka and Kvitova delivered an epic display of first-strike tennis in an enthralling and truly unforgettable final back in 2019.
The world No 1 was in the line for both women and it was Osaka who looked set to pounce, taking a tight opening set in the tiebreak and then holding championship points at 5-3 up in the second.
Former Wimbledon champion Kvitova stormed back and claimed four straight games to send the match to a third set, though Osaka needed just one break in the decider to claim a thrilling victory.
It was the second of four major titles for the Japanese, who won the Australian Open for a second time in 2019.