This is the tale of the most successful tennis players or stars in the history of the Australian Open. The grand slam tennis event which rolls the tennis season running has taken place 109 times so far prior to its 2022 edition. The event took place for the very first time back in 1905. From 1905 to 1926, people used to know it as the Australasian Championships. Then for the next 42 years, fans knew it as the Australian Championships. Those periods are known as the Amateur era while the Open era started in 1969. Let’s find out which guys have established themselves as the most successful ones in AO history. Here we will bring you the list of the Most Titles (Successful Players) in Australian Open history. Best Sports Streaming Platforms in the USA.
Most Titles (Successful Players) in the Australian Open History
As the Open era history starts from the 1969 edition, hence here we will mainly focus on the titles won during this period. But we will also discuss shortly the Amateur era’s legendary stars.
Novak Djokovic:
The name that is well and truly inseparable from the history of the Australian Open. The king of Melbourne Park and perhaps the most successful non-Australian personality to reign the most on Australian soil. The 34 years old Serbian is the most successful star in AO history. With his incredible 9 titles, he owns at least 3 titles more than any other player in the competition’s history. Nole won his first-ever AO title back in 2008. Then he won the threepeat between 2011 to 2013. The 6 feet 2-inch sensation again clinched it on consecutive editions in 2015 and 2016 and touched Amateur era’s Roy Emerson with 6 titles.
But Roger Federer matched him with his 6th in 2018. But Djoko proved himself the undisputed king of Melbourne Park and brought him to another level with his hat-trick of glory in 2019, 2020, and 2021. He has as many as 20 Grand Slams beside his name which is the very same as Federer and Nadal. There might be a debate about who is the greatest tennis player of all time. But there can’t be any argument that the Serbian is the true GOAT of the Australian Open. And yes, he definitely ranks first among the Most Successful Players in the Australian Open history.
Roger Federer:
With 103 ATP singles titles, a record 6 ATP Finals victories, 6 Australian Open, 8 Wimbledon, 5 US Open titles,s and a solitary trophy at the Rolland Garros, Roger Federer is perhaps the most versatile winner in tennis. The Swiss sensation has had a tremendous career. Doesn’t matter, wherever he has gone, success has always kissed his feet and AO is no exception. With 6 open-era titles, the 40 years old is the 2nd most successful player in the tournament history. He has clinched the A title in 2004, 2006, 2007, 2010, 2017, and 2018 winning back-to-back titles on two different occasions. In fact, he brought himself level with Djokovic in 2018 but the Serbian went past him in the very next campaign.
Roy Emerson:
Although this alluded legend could never lift the singles trophy during the open era, he still is the most successful Australian player in AO history. Emerson has as many AO titles besides his name, all during the amateur era. He is also the only player to lift the highest prize in 5 consecutive editions. Actually, the Blackbutt, Queensland-born tennis icon had won the competition on 6 occasions within 7 years: 1961, 1963, 1964, 1965, 1966, and 1967. Over 85 years old has won a doubles title during the open era but failed to win it individually since the introduction of this new phase. Apart from these, he has won Wimbledon, US Open, and the French Open; each of these championships twice.
Andre Agassi:
Another hard court specialist has no less than 4 Australian Open glories beside his name. His inaugural glory at Melbourne Park came in 1995. Then he had to wait 4 more years for his next title. But then he won his 2nd one in 2000. Hence, he became the winner of the very first grand slam of the millennia. Well, the American then went on to win 2 more occasions and made it 4, the 3rd most overall and also the most by an American.
Ken Rosewall:
Rosewall was one of those lucky guys who had the taste of winning the AO title in both the Amateur and Open eras. The Sydney-born tennis legend won his first title in 1953 and the 2nd one just two years later. But he had to wait 16 long years for his 3rd title. But he finally became successful in conquest his 3rd overall and very first in the open era, back in 1971. He was more than 36 when he won his 3rd title but his honeymoon was yet to be over. He won his 4th overall in the next campaign and is among the 5 most successful players in the competition’s history.
Jack Crawford:
Crawford was too ancient to feature in the open era. But he is one of just 3 Australians, to win as many as 4 Australian Championships/Open titles so far. The guy who retired in 1951; 18 years prior to the inaugural edition of the open era, clinched the Australian Championships trophy in 1931, 1932, 1933, 1935. He won the competition on 3 consecutive occasions with 4 titles within 5 years. In addition to this, Crawford won the French Open and the Wimbledon once. In fact, in that 1933 campaign, he won a hat-trick of titles and also finished as the runners-up in the US Open.
Mats Wilander:
The Swedish is one of the only 5 men to win 3 or more Australian Open titles during the open era. He won the competition in 1983, 1984, and 1988. In fact, from 1982 to 1988, he secured seven Grand Slam singles titles: three at the French Open, three at the Australian Open, and one at the US Open. Unfortunately, he could never win the singles titles at Wimbledon although it’s the only grand slam event where he has managed to win a doubles title with countryman Joakim Nystrom.
Rod Laver:
Rod Laver is the winner of the inaugural edition of the open era of Australian open. He defeated Andrés Gimeno in the final, 6–3, 6–4, 7–5 to clinch his 3rd-ever title in the competition. But it was his most famous victory as it was the very first edition after the introduction of the open era. His other 2 titles also came in the ’60s: 1960 and 1962 respectively.
James Anderson:
The Amateur era was completely dominated by the local boys and the stats do prove that. So many Australians are at the upper part of the chart. James Anderson grabbed 3 Australasian Championships trophies in 1922, 1924, and 1925. All his 3 titles came within just 4 years.
Adrian Quist:
Adrian Quist has won as many as 10 doubles titles in the Australian Open during the Amateur era. He has got 3 singles trophies in his cabinet as well. Although his career is overwhelmed with the glory of the double and he has failed to win any singles title at any grand slam event outside AO, he is still one of those few guys to win 3 or more singles titles at the Australian Championships.
Special Mentions:
Apart from the alluded guys, 14 more players have won more than one singles title at the AO. They are:
- Boris Becker
- Rafael Nadal
- Jim Courier
- Stefan Edberg
- Johan Kriek
- Ivan Lendl
- John Newcombe
- Pete Sampras
- Guillermo Villas
- John Bromwich
- Ashley Cooper
- Rodney Heath
- Frank Sedgman
- Anthony Wilding
- Pat O’Hara Wood
All of these men have 2 Australian Open/Championships titles beside their names. Among them, the last 6 names featured during the amateur era while the top 8 names participated during the modern open era. Most Expensive Trophies in Sports (20+).