Top 5 Greatest Australian Open Women’s Singles Finals

 Women’s tennis has evolved significantly, becoming more competitive and physically demanding over the years. The Williams sisters, Venus and Serena, revolutionized the sport by introducing power tennis, with their fast serves and strong baseline play. Their impact laid the foundation for the current generation of players, including Aryna Sabalenka, Elena Rybakina, and Coco Gauff, who continue to showcase powerful serves and aggressive baseline shots, further pushing the sport’s level of intensity and athleticism.

The Australian Open has witnessed some glorious Finals in the Women’s Singles over the years. 

Here we take a look at the top five encounters in the Women’s Singles Finals – 

5. Angelique Kerber vs Serena Williams 6-4, 3-6, 6-4 (2016)

The 2016 Australian Open was Angelique Kerber’s first Grand Slam final appearance and before this her best performance at the Slams was a quarter-final at Roland Garros in 2012. 

She had a tough task on her hands as here she was facing the toughest opponent in form of the legendary Serena Williams who was looking unbeatable so far. Hence, no one expected her to win but win she did and that too in great style. A rare left-handed player on the women’s tour, Kerber wasn’t a pushover and she showed no signs of nerves when she took the first set 6-4. However, Serena Williams responded the way Champions always do and took the second set 6-3. With momentum on William’s side, everyone expected her to take the Daphne Ackhurst trophy home but Kerber had other ideas. She traded powerful groundstrokes with Williams deep into the third set before she broke William’s serve and took home her first Grand Slam Singles title. 

An exceptional performance from the German against the best player the women’s game has ever seen. They enthralled the crowd with some high-quality tennis and awe-worthy moments showcasing not just their skill but athleticism on the court. 

4. Serena Williams vs Venus Williams 7-6, 3-6, 6-4 (2003)

Serena Williams had come off the back of a stupendous 2002 winning the French Open, Wimbledon and the US Open titles beating her sister Venus in all three of those finals. It was a period of utter domination from the Williams’ sisters.

At the 2003 Australian Open, the Women’s single final again saw the Williams sisters pitted against each other. The first set was a tense affair that went into a tie-break which Serena edged over Venus. The older sister then came back to win the second set 6-3 before Serena held her nerves to take the third set 6-4 and completed a Career Slam – only the sixth woman to do so in the open-era (post 1968) at the time. 

Amazingly, she also held all four Grand Slam titles at the same time dubbing it as the ‘Serena Slam’. She is undoubtedly the greatest women’s tennis players of all time and it was a period that not just witnessed their domination but also reformed women’s tennis in ways that no one imagined. Power tennis became a norm with more women’s players emerging as power hitters with huge serves in contrast to the more conservative style of play which involved relying on top spin, volleys and drop shots instead of fierce baseline groundstrokes. 

3. Margaret Court vs Evonne Goolagong 2-6, 7-6, 7-5 (1971)

Deemed as one of the greatest women’s tennis players, Margaret Court still holds the record for the most Grand Slam titles with 24 titles, tied with the legendary Novak Djokovic who is looking to break her record. 

The match-up in the Australian Open finals was between the No.1 and No. 2 players in Margaret Court and Evonne Goolagong respectively. Both had played superbly so far and were expected to meet each other in the finals. The Australian crowd were in for a treat as whoever won, the trophy would stay in the home country. Contrary to popular belief, it was the No.2 player Goolagong who took the first set.  But the two-time defending champion Court, came back to take the second set in a hard-fought tie-breaker. Reeling in all her experience of the previous finals, Court edged Goolagong 7-5 in the third set winning her sixth Australian Open title and her 21st grand slam title overall. 

It was an exceptional display of tennis between two fierce opponents who went on to play each other many times, winning more grand slam titles and entertaining tennis fans all over the world. 

2. Martina Navratilova vs Chris Evert 6-7, 6-4, 7-5 (1981)

This is still widely considered as one of the greatest tennis rivalries in the open era. Martina Navratilova and Chris Evert contested each other regularly in the 70s and the 80s and played each other in an incredible 60 finals. 

However, this particular final was an epic three-set encounter that was one of the most significant matches in this eternal rivalry. Before 1986, the Australian Open was played on grass at the Kooyong Lawn Tennis Club. Contesting in their 45th match, it was Chris Evert who took the initiative in the first set winning it in a tie-breaker. Navratilova then came back to take the second set 6-4. The third set was a fiercely contested affair with Navratilova managing to break Evert’s serve once again and winning her first Australian Open title. Navratilova went on to win two more consecutive Australian Open titles but by far this was her most important one as she edged her rival in a close battle. 

This win not only highlighted their rivalry but also marked Navratilova’s rise in women’s tennis as she went on to become one of the greats of her generation. She also went on to become a legendary figure in the world of sport thereby inspiring many young tennis players from her nation to take up the sport and follow in her footsteps to win major titles. 

1. Jennifer Capriati vs Martina Hingis 4-6, 7-6, 6-2 (2002)

It was a repeat of the 2001 Australian Open Women’s Singles finals the previous year where Jennifer Capriati had defeated Martina Hingis in straight sets. 

However, Hingis was looking in better form and had revenge on her mind. Hingis took the first set 6-4 and in a seemingly one-sided encounter Capriati went 4-0 down in the second set without a way back. But stranger things have happened in sports and no one can predict the outcome until the match is won. In the oppressive heat at Melbourne, Hingis started to cramp and tire out while Capriati handled it better and made a comeback breaking back Hingis and turning things around. At 5-6 down, she saved four Championship points to hold her serve and force the game into a tie-break. She miraculously managed to win the second set taking the match to a decider. The second set comeback turned the momentum in her favour and with an unmatched confidence, she broke Hingis’s resolve and took the third set 6-2, defending her Australian Open crown in unbelievable fashion. 

This has by far been the best Women’s Singles finals at the Australian Open where both players fought tooth and nail, played fair and it also showed us all the beauty of sports and how miracles can often happen if you just keep believing and not give up till the very end.