Top five oldest champions of Australian Open

Ken Rosewall is the oldest man to win the Australian Open.

While it pays to have age on your side in a demanding sport such as tennis, several players have continued to win tournaments even as time catches up with them. They have battled various odds to get to where they were, including injuries, lack of form, or sheer run of bad luck, perhaps even challenges from the next generation of players. 

The Australian Open was played in 1905 and has been hosted by Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane, and Adelaide. In 1988, Melbourne became the permanent home of the season’s first Grand Slam. Plenty of champions have made the tennis courts at Melbourne Park their favoured event, with more than a handful of career victories.

Also Read: Top six ATP players with highest winning percentage as World No. 1

Before we begin, Li Na deserves special mention as the first Asian and one of the oldest players to win the Daphne Akhurst Memorial Cup, the trophy awarded to the winner in the women’s singles draw. The Chinese player was 31 years, 10 months when she won the 2014 Australian Open.

The stars proved that age was just a number when they took home the Australian Open trophy at the advanced stages of their career. Here we take a look at the top five oldest champions of the Australian Open.

Andre Agassi – 32 years, 8 months

Agassi lifted four of his eight Grand Slam trophies in Melbourne Park. The American first won in Melbourne in 1995, having won his first major title in New York the year before. He won three more Australian Open titles in 2000, 2001 and 2003.

The 2003 triumph came when he was nearly 33 years old, making him one of the oldest players to win in Melbourne. In the decade beginning with 1990, Agassi, alongside fellow Americans Jim Courier and Pete Sampras, bagged wins at six of the ten editions. The 2003 title was also Agassi’s last Grand Slam title. 

Also Read: Australian Open: Full list of winners

Serena Williams – 35 years, 4 months

Serena Williams is the most dominant player in the WTA, from the beginning of the open era. She garnered 23 Grand Slam titles, just one short of the 24 won by Margaret Court. She won seven Australian Open titles on par with her collection of trophies at Wimbledon. 

Serena won the 2017 Australian Open, four months before her 35th birthday, becoming the oldest woman to win in Melbourne. The victory in 2017 was one of the ten at Grand Slams after Williams turned 30, which remains an Open Era record in the WTA.

Novak Djokovic – 35 years, 8 months

Novak Djokovic is the third oldest man to win in Melbourne Park. The Serb achieved the feat in 2023 by winning his tenth title and setting a record at the venue. The 37-year-old has lifted the trophy more times at Melbourne than any other major. His seven Wimbledon titles are next on the list. 

Djokovic returned to the World No. 1 spot after winning the 2023 edition to begin his record 374th week in the top spot. The former World No. 1 picked his first Australian Open title in 2008, becoming the first Serbian to win the event.  

Also Read: Top five youngest men’s singles players to defend Australian Open title

Roger Federer –  36 years, 5 months

When Roger Federer won his sixth Australian Open in 2018, at 36 years and 5 months, he became the second oldest player to win the title in Melbourne Park. It was also the 20th and final Grand Slam of his stellar career. 

The versatile Swiss maestro ended up with six Australian Open titles, two fewer than the eight he won at Wimbledon. It was at Wimbledon that Federer began his Grand Slam journey in 2003. Following his first Australian Open win in 2024, Federer rose to the ATP No. 1 ranking for the first time. It was the beginning of a record 237 weeks at the top.

Ken Rosewall – 37 years, 2 months 

Ken Rosewall was the first man on tour to win the Australian Open multiple times in the Open Era. He won the 1971 edition and followed it up by defending his crown in 1972. By successfully retaining the trophy, Rosewall became the oldest man to win the title at 37 years and 2 months. 

The Australian had won the trophy twice before the Open Era got underway. They came in 1953 and 1955. Rosewall claimed three titles in the Open Era, the first being the French Open in 1968, followed by the Australian Open in 1971 and 1972.

For more updates, follow Khel Now on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram; download the Khel Now Android App or IOS App and join our community on Whatsapp & Telegram