Held in the middle of the Australian
summer, The Australian Open is the first
Grand Slam tennis tournament of the year. Since 1988 it has been played at
Melbourne Park, (formerly
Flinders Park),
Victoria, but prior to this it was played in various cities within Australia and even in New Zealand on two occasions. The Australian Open is played on Rebound Ace, a hardcourt surface.
The Australian Open, formerly the
Australian Championships, has a long and rich history and in 2005 the tournament celebrated its
centenary. Attendance at this event, its 94th incarnation (interrupted during war years), was 543,873.
The two show-courts,
Rod Laver Arena and
Vodafone Arena, are unique in that they are capable of providing indoor play via a retractable roof if weather conditions demand it. It is currently the only Grand Slam tournament to feature a retractable roof although
Wimbledon has plans to follow suit by 2009.
List of Australian Open Champions since the advent of the
open era:
- Men
- 1968 Bill Bowrey
- 1969 Rod Laver
- 1970 Arthur Ashe
- 1971 Ken Rosewall
- 1972 Ken Rosewall
- 1973 John Newcombe
- 1974 Jimmy Connors
- 1975 John Newcombe
- 1976 Mark Edmondson
- 1977 Roscoe Tanner
- 1977 Vitas Gerulaitis
- 1978 Guillermo Vilas
- 1979 Guillermo Vilas
- 1980 Brian Teacher
- 1981 Johan Kriek
- 1982 Johan Kriek
- 1983 Mats Wilander
- 1984 Mats Wilander
- 1985 Stefan Edberg
- 1986 no competition Date change
- 1987 Stefan Edberg
- 1988 Mats Wilander
- 1989 Ivan Lendl
- 1990 Ivan Lendl
- 1991 Boris Becker
- 1992 Jim Courier
- 1993 Jim Courier
- 1994 Pete Sampras
- 1995 Andre Agassi
- 1996 Boris Becker
- 1997 Pete Sampras
- 1998 Petr Korda
- 1999 Yevgeny Kafelnikov
- 2000 Andre Agassi
- 2001 Andre Agassi
- 2002 Thomas Johansson
- 2003 Andre Agassi
- 2004 Roger Federer
- 2005 Marat Safin
- 2006 Roger Federer
- 2007 Roger Federer
Women
- 1968 Billie Jean King
- 1969 Margaret Smith Court
- 1970 Margaret Smith Court
- 1971 Margaret Smith Court
- 1972 Virginia Wade
- 1973 Margaret Smith Court
- 1974 Evonne Goolagong Cawley
- 1975 Evonne Goolagong Cawley
- 1976 Evonne Goolagong Cawley
- 1977 Kerry Melville Reid (January)
- 1977 Evonne Goolagong Cawley (December)
- 1978 Christine O'Neill
- 1979 Barbara Jordan
- 1980 Hana Mandlíková
- 1981 Martina Navrátilová
- 1982 Chris Evert
- 1983 Martina Navrátilová
- 1984 Chris Evert
- 1985 Martina Navrátilová
- 1986 no competition Date change
- 1987 Hana Mandlíková
- 1988 Steffi Graf
- 1989 Steffi Graf
- 1990 Steffi Graf
- 1991 Monica Seleš
- 1992 Monica Seleš
- 1993 Monica Seleš
- 1994 Steffi Graf
- 1995 Mary Pierce
- 1996 Monica Seleš
- 1997 Martina Hingis
- 1998 Martina Hingis
- 1999 Martina Hingis
- 2000 Lindsay Davenport
- 2001 Jennifer Capriati
- 2002 Jennifer Capriati
- 2003 Serena Williams
- 2004 Justine Henin-Hardenne
- 2005 Serena Williams
- 2006 Amelie Mauresmo
- 2007 Serena Williams