Australian Open: 5 Greatest Women’s Singles finals

In this article, we present to you our top 5 picks of the greatest-ever women’s singles Australian Open finals.

Women’s tennis has evolved significantly, becoming more competitive and physically demanding over the years. The Williams sisters, Venus and Serena, revolutionised 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 category over the years. Without further ado, we offer you our top five: 

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

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

Kerber had a tough task on her hands, as here she faced one of the toughest opponents one could in the form of the legendary Serena Williams, who had looked unbeatable so far. Hence, no one expected Kerber to win, but win she did, and that too in great style. The rare left-hander showed no signs of nerves when she took the first set 6-4, though Williams responded the way champions always do and took the second set 6-3. With momentum on Williams’s side, everyone expected her to take the Daphne Akhurst trophy home, but Kerber had other ideas. She traded powerful groundstrokes with Williams deep into the third set before breaking her serve and taking home her first Grand Slam Singles title. 

This was an exceptional performance from the German against arguably the best player the women’s game has ever seen. The two enthralled the crowd with some high-quality tennis and awe-worthy moments, showcasing not just their skill but athleticism on the court as well. 

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

Serena was just coming on the back of a stupendous 2002, having won the French Open, Wimbledon, and the US Open by beating her sister Venus in all three finals. It was a period of utter domination from the Williams sisters.

At the 2003 Australian Open, the Women’s Singles 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—becoming 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 (dubbed the “Serena Slam”). She is undoubtedly the greatest women’s tennis players of all time, and this was a period that not just witnessed the two’s domination but also reformed women’s tennis in ways no one could imagine. Power tennis became the 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. 

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

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

This particular match-up in the Australian Open final was between the No. 1 and No. 2 players in Margaret Court and Evonne Goolagong. Both had played superbly thus far and were expected to meet each other in the final. The Australian crowd was in for a treat, as whoever won, the trophy would remain Down Under.

Against expectations somewhat, 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 to win 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 (1981) | 6-7, 6-4, 7-5

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 ’80s, facing each other in an incredible 60 finals. 

This particular final was an epic three-set encounter that was one of the most significant matches of 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 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 would go on to win two more consecutive Australian Open titles, but this was by far her most important one as she edged her rival in a close battle. 

This win not only highlighted the rivalry between the two, it 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. 

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

This was a repeat of the 2001 Australian Open Women’s Singles final. The previous year, Jennifer Capriati had defeated Martina Hingis in straight sets. 

However, Hingis was looking in better form and had revenge on her mind. She 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 in Melbourne, Hingis started to cramp and tire out, while Capriati handled it better and made a comeback. 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 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 final at the Australian Open, where both the players fought tooth and nail and played fair. It also showed us the beauty of sports and how miracles can often happen if you just keep believing and not give up till the very end.