Full list of singles players to defend Australian Open title

Novak Djokovic is the only male player to achieve a three-peat.

The Australian Open is a racket sports tennis tournament that has undergone several name changes since its inception in 1905. The competition was held on outdoor hardcourts at Melbourne Park in Melbourne, Australia, for two weeks beginning in mid-January 1988, and it was the first among the four Grand Slam competitions since 1987.

The Australian Open was earlier known as The Australasian (Australia and New Zealand) Championships in 1905. Historically, top tennis players did not attend the competition due to its geographic isolation. However, starting in 1924, it became one of the major tennis tournaments and began to be called the Australian Championships.

The tournament is the first Grand Slam of the year, which has shattered records year after year, with the greatest names from the tennis fraternity going head-to-head at the Melbourne Park. Home to three of the best courts in the world—Rod Laver Arena, Margaret Court and John Cain Arena, the competition is also called as the ‘Happy Slam’.

The marquee event always provides athletes with the golden opportunity for players to start the new season on a high. The most successful player in the Open Era on Australian soil is Novak Djokovic, with 10 titles Down-Under. For women’s singles, Serena Williams leads the pack with seven trophies.

Winning a Grand Slam elevates an athlete to a pedestal, as it is one of the greatest achievements for a sportsperson. However, winning a major and returning to defend your title, puts you amongst the greats of the game.

Also Read: Top five youngest Australian Open champions ft. Martina Hingis

Djokovic is the only male player in the history of the event to have won the Australian open on three consecutive instances. Additionally, the Serbian has defended his title twice while Roger Federer is the only other athlete to have defended his Australian open title on two occasions.

Only five women’s singles players have accomplished the rare milestone of a three-peat, meaning three consecutive titles at Melbourne Park. This elite list consists of Margaret Court, Evonne Goolagong, Monica Seles, Steffi Graf and Martina Hingis. Aryna Sabalenka looked to be the new entrant but lost the finals of the Australian Open 2025 against Madison Keys.

Interestingly, some of the greatest players are not part of this exclusive list. The likes of Pete Sampras, Rafael Nadal, Boris Becker, Stan Wawrinka, Chris Evert, Martina Navratilova and Maria Sharapova failed to find a spot, underscoring the immense challenge of not only winning a championship but also replicating their heroics to achieve it again.

On that note, let’s take a look at the full list of men’s and women’s singles players who have successfully defended their Australian Open title.

Australian Open men’s singles champions who defended their title

YEAR	CHAMPIONS	COUNTRY
1971-72	Ken Rosewall	Australia (AUS)
1978-79	Guillermo Vilas	Argentina (ARG)
1981-82	Johan Kriek	South Africa (RSA)/ America (USA)
1983-84	Mats Wilander	Sweden (SWE)
1985	Stefan Edberg	Sweden (SWE)
1986	No tournament due to date change
1987	Stefan Edberg	Sweden (SWE)
1989-90	Ivan Lendl	Czechoslovakia (TCH)
1992-93	Jim Courier	America (USA)
2000-01	Andre Agassi	America (USA)
2006-07, 2017-18	Roger Federer	Switzerland (SUI)
2011-13, 2015-16, 2019-21	Novak Djokovic	Serbia (SRB)
2024-25	Jannik Sinner	Italy (ITA)

Australian Open women’s singles champions who defended their title

YEAR	CHAMPIONS	COUNTRY
1969-71	Margaret Court	Australia (AUS)
1974-76	Evonne Goolagong	Australia (AUS)
1988-90	Steffi Graf	West Germany (FRG)
1991-93	Monica Seles	Yugoslavia (YUG)
1997-99	Martina Hingis	Switzerland (SUI)
2001-02	Jennifer Capriati	America (USA)
2009-10	Serena Williams	America (USA)
2012-13	Victoria Azarenka	Belarus (BLR)
2023-24	Aryna Sabalenka	Belarus (BLR)

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