Ranking the 10 greatest Australian men’s tennis players of the Open Era – ft. Hewitt, Laver, Rosewall
The Australian summer is always one of the most special parts of the tennis calendar, and the nation has undoubtedly made an invaluable contribution to the sport.
Australia has produced some of the greatest tennis players of recent decades, but who are the very best of them all?
Here, look at a range of factors — including consistency, Grand Slam success, and ranking — we rank the 10 greatest Australian male singles tennis players of the Open Era; while our primary focus is the Open Era, we will also factor in the amateur success of players who spanned both eras.
10) Peter McNamara
Though he was best known for his doubles prowess, McNamara — who sadly passed away in 2019 — was also a hugely accomplished singles player.
He reached a career-high of seventh in the ATP Rankings in 1983 and won five ATP singles titles, reaching the semi-final of the Australian Open, and the last eight at both Roland Garros and Wimbledon.
9) Mark Edmondson
Edmondson remains the last Australian man to lift the singles title at his home Grand Slam, and his surprise triumph in 1976 makes him the lowest-ranked man to ever win a major singles title.
He was 212th at the time of his victory in Melbourne and would win six ATP singles titles in total, reaching a high of 15th in the ATP Rankings, and progressing to the semi-finals of Wimbledon in 1982.
8) Mark Philippoussis
Injuries disrupted large parts of Philippoussis‘ career, but they did not stop the Australian from reaching two Grand Slam finals — finishing as the 1998 US Open and 2003 Wimbledon runner-up.
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Philippoussis lifted 11 ATP Tour singles titles during his career, most notably triumphing at Indian Wells in 1999, and reached a career-high of world No 8 in April 1999.
7) Pat Cash
A former world No 4 at the peak of his powers, Aussie icon Cash is best remembered for beating then-world No 1 Ivan Lendl to lift the Wimbledon title in 1987.
He was also a two-time Australian Open finalist and a former US Open semi-finalist during his career, winning a total of six ATP Tour titles during his hugely impressive career.
6) Pat Rafter
One of just three Australian men to hold the world No 1 spot since the ATP Rankings were first introduced in 1973, tennis great Rafter won 11 ATP Tour titles during his career.
The former world No 1 most memorably lifted back-to-back US Open titles in 1997 and 1998, and was also a two-time Wimbledon finalist, and a French Open and Australian Open semi-finalist.
5) Tony Roche
A true legend of Australian tennis across singles and doubles, Roche’s success spanned both the Amateur and Open Eras of the sport.
Roche reached three Grand Slam finals in the Open Era — losing all three to fellow Australians — though he was the 1967 French Championships winner, and later won 21 tour titles during the professional era.
He reached an official high of eighth on the ATP Rankings in 1973, though he was unofficially recognised as the world No 2 in 1969.
4) Lleyton Hewitt
The only Australian man to win a Grand Slam singles title in the 21st Century, Hewitt is arguably the last true male tennis great that the nation has produced.
Hewitt memorably lifted the US Open title in 2001 and the Wimbledon title in 2002, reaching further Grand Slam finals at the 2004 US Open and 2005 Australian Open.
The Australian won a hugely impressive 30 ATP Tour singles titles during his legendary career, and spent 80 weeks as the world No 1 — a total that only nine men have bettered as of January 2026.
3) Ken Rosewall
After winning four Grand Slams as an amateur in the early 1950s, Rosewall turned professional in 1956 and did not return to Grand Slam action until 1968 — but immediately found huge success.
Knicknamed ‘muscles’, Rosewall won the first major title of the Open Era at the 1968 French Open and also won the 1970 US Open title, alongside back-to-back Australian Open titles in 1971 and 1972.
Rosewall remains the oldest man in the Open Era to win a Grand Slam singles title and reached eight Slam finals in the Open Era, alongside 43 titles in total.
2) John Newcombe
A true giant of the game, Newcombe is one of just three Australian men to be ranked as the world No 1 on the ATP Rankings, and was one of the leading stars of the 1970s.
Newcombe won five of his seven Grand Slam singles titles during the Open Era, lifting two Wimbledon titles, two Australian Open titles, and a US Open title as a professional.
He was also a runner-up at two further major events and spent eight weeks as the world No 1, lifting a recognised 41 singles titles in the Open Era.
1) Rod Laver
Not only the greatest Australian male player of the Open Era, Laver is also undoubtedly one of the greatest tennis players of all.
After winning six majors as an amateur — including the Calendar Grand Slam in 1962 — Laver returned to Grand Slam action in 1968, finishing as the French Open runner-up and triumphing at Wimbledon.
The Aussie legend then completed the Calendar Grand Slam for a second time in 1969, and remains the only man to achieve that feat in the Open Era.
Laver won a staggering 75 singles titles during the Open Era, making him an obvious No 1 pick on our list.
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