Who are the only unseeded players in history to win the Australian Open?

These players defied all odds to accomplish this milestone.  

The tennis world is famed for producing shock winners and underdogs who become crowd favorites. Seeded players tend to have a favorable draw at any tennis event, making the achievement of winning a Grand Slam as an unseeded player that bit more extraordinary.  

In a year where the tennis world has been thrown upside down thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic, now is as good a time for an underdog to make that run to an unlikely Grand Slam title.

This year, unseeded Madison Keys has already reached the semi-finals of the Australian Open. On her way, she has beaten heavyweights Sofia Kenin and Paula Badosa. However, her biggest win came when she defeated one of the favorites this year, Barbora Krejcikova to enter the semi-final. So far, only three unseeded players in history have gone on to win the Australian Open

Here's a look at the players who achieved the unthinkable:  

Mark Edmondson (1976)

Edmondson became the first unseeded player in the Open era to win a Grand Slam. The Aussie entered the Australian Open with only one Grand Slam match win at the time. Edmondson, 21 back then, had to fight his way in his first three matches. He registered his first straight sets victory over 13th seed Dick Crealy in the fourth round.  

In the semi-finals, Edmondson defeated top seed Ken Rosewall in four sets. In the final, he faced defending champion and second seed John Newcombe.  Newcombe, till that time, had held a total of seven Grand Slams. Edmondson came back from a set down to shock Newcombe and become the first unseeded champion of the Australian Open.  

Mark Edmondson, at World No. 212, is the lowest-ranked player to ever win a Grand Slam. He reached a career-high ranking of World No. 15 in 1982.  

Also Read: Top five longest matches played in the history of tennis

Chris O'Neil  (1978)

O'Neil was the first woman to win a Grand Slam as an unseeded player in 1978. The then 21-year-old came into the 1978 Australian Open as an underdog. Sue Barker and Renata Tomanova were the most notable players participating in the tournament.  

O’Neil won her matches comfortably in straight sets on her way to the final. In the all-important clash, she was up against seventh seeded American Betsy Nagelsen. O’Neil took the first set 6-3 before holding herself to win the second set on a tie-break. She went on to reach a career-high ranking of 80 and is the last Australian woman to win the Australian Open.  

It would take another 30 years for an unseeded player to win a Grand Slam.   

Serena Williams (2007)

US tennis legend Serena Williams went unseeded into the 2007 Australian Open. At that time, she ranked 81 in the world. After taking a break for six months owing to injuries and mental health issues, Serena returned to professional tennis ahead of the Australian Open. Considered 'overweight,' she was not given any chance by experts.  

Williams knocked over several top 20 players on the way to the title. In the final, she beat Maria Sharapova 6-1, 6-2 to win her eighth Grand Slam title. She became the first player since Chris O'Neil (1978) to win the title whilst not being seeded.  

The 36-year-old presently holds 23 Grand Slams to her name. She has also won six times at Melbourne Park. Serena Williams is however, missing at the Australian Open this year owing to an injury.

For more updates, follow Khel Now on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.