Sharapova, Sabalenka and others: compiling a ranking of the best Australian Open champions
Alexander Nasonov January 9, 2024, 19:15 Moscow time Audio version: Your browser does not support the audio element.
We took all the athletes since 2000 who won the first major of the season. Which is the best?
In the second half of January the Australian Open will be held in Melbourne (Australia). As usual, this will be the first Grand Slam of the season. Since 2000, 15 tennis players have become AO champions, including Russia’s Maria Sharapova. Belarusians Victoria Azarenka and Aryna Sabalenka also triumphed. And of course, Serena Williams – where would we be without her? And you decide which of them is really the strongest. You can explain your choice in the comments.
Related materials
The Australian Open hasn’t started yet, but there are already problems. Rain interrupted the start of qualifying
This rating, like all the others, is created by the “Championship” users. Champions are distributed based on votes from online users.
If you want to move up to your favorite in the ranking, click on the up arrow “ ↑ “. If you think an option should be listed below, press the down arrow “↓”.
Important: The “Ranking” functionality is available only in the normal version of the “Championship”. If you accessed this material through the search page, you will see a generated list without voting buttons.
Ranking: best Australian Open champions
Photo: Mark Dadswell/Getty Images
Maria Sharapova (Russia) – 2008
At the 2008 Australian Open, Sharapova, then 20 years old, won her third TBS title in five. Throughout the entire tournament, the Russian tennis player did not give up a single set and gave three “hands” to her opponents, despite the fact that the level of the opposition was incredible. What can we say if Maria in the second round met Lindsay Davenport, who then, however, had already passed the peak of her career? After Davenport, Sharapova, who was seeded fifth, did not notice much resistance from Elena Vesnina and Elena Dementieva (11), and in the decisive matches Justine Henin (1), Elena Jankovic (3) and Ana Ivanovic fell (4). Under pressure from the Russians, Maria beat her 7:5, 6:3.
Photo: Ben Solomon-Pool/Getty Images
Victoria Azarenka (Belarus) – 2012–2013
Those two victories for Azarenka at the Australian Open remain her only trophies in Grand Slam tournaments. In 2012, the Belarusian overcame the decisive phases of the tournament, not without problems. In the quarterfinals, third-seeded Victoria achieved a resounding victory over Agnieszka Radwanska (8), and in the semifinals she also lost a set in the match with Kim Clijsters (11). In the final, Maria Sharapova (4) could not adequately resist Azarenka (6:3, 6:0 in favor of the Belarusian). The following year, top-seeded Victoria defended the title. Unlike the previous season, this time she had to be nervous in the final: 4: 6, 6: 4, 6: 3 in the match against the Chinese Li Na (6).
Photo: Clive Brunskill/Getty Images
Li Na (China) – 2014
After losing two Australian Open finals in 2011 and 2013, in 2014 the best tennis player in Chinese history was finally able to win the title, her second and last in the TBS. In seven matches, Li Na only lost one game, although we must not forget that she was a little lucky with the goal. At the same time, in the third round, the Chinese lost a match point in the match with Lucie Safarova. Be that as it may, the recognized favorites left the tournament, and all this led to Li Na, fourth seed, beating Flavia Pennetta (28) in the quarterfinals, Eugenie Bouchard (30) in the semifinals, and in the confrontation Decisive scored a cross from Dominika Cibulkova (20) 7:6 (7:3), 6:0.
Photo: Scott Barbour/Getty Images
Angelique Kerber (Germany) – 2016
Kerber’s first of three titles on TBS. But this might not have happened, because already in the first round the seventh-seeded German ran into a match point in a match with Misaki Doi. Then everything was a little calmer, although not easier. In the quarterfinals, Angelica beat Victoria Azarenka (14), in the semifinals she was stronger than Johanna Konta and in the title match she broke the resistance of Serena Williams herself (1) – 6:4, 3:6, 6 :4. .
Photo: Darrian Traynor/Getty Images
Naomi Osaka (Japan) – 2019, 2021
The four-time TBS champion, who just returned to tennis after the birth of her son, has so far only won difficult majors. She won two trophies at the Australian Open. In 2019, Osaka won the AO, winning tough battles in her last two matches at the tournament. In the semifinals, the fourth-seeded Japanese tennis player beat Karolina Pliskova (7) in three sets, and in the last game she beat Petra Kvitova (8)-7: 6 (7: 2), 5: 7 , 6:4. And in the 2021 season, Osaka (3) defended herself from two match points during the Australian Open, in the round of 16, when her opponent was Garbiñe Muguruza (14). In the semifinals, Osaka stopped Serena Williams (10) and in the decisive match she beat the unexpected guest of the final, Jennifer Brady (22), 6: 4, 6: 3.
Photo: Clive Brunskill/ALLSPORT
Jennifer Capriati (USA) – 2001–2002
The Australian Open turned out to be the biggest favorite for the controversial American, who won the TBS three times. In 2001, Capriati took 12th place in the tournament and in the decisive matches she beat rivals such as Monica Seles (4), Lindsay Davenport (2) and Martina Hingis (1). A year later, Jennifer managed to defend the title. In the last three matches, Capriati, the first seed, turned out to be stronger than Amelie Mauresmo (7), Kim Clijsters (4) and Hingis himself (3). In that final with Martina, won 4:6, 7:6 (9:7), 6:2, Jennifer saved four match points!
Photo: Clive Brunskill/Getty Images
Serena Williams (USA) – 2003, 2005, 2007, 2009-2010, 2015, 2017
Williams Jr. is the most successful Australian Open tennis player in the Open era. The legendary American won the main trophy in Melbourne seven times. Margaret Court won the AO 11 times, but only four of her successes came in the Open Era. As for Serena, she beat her older sister Venus and Maria Sharapova twice in the final, as well as Lindsay Davenport, Dinara Safina and Justine Henin once each. It is curious that in these tournaments Williams had to recover match points: two in the 2003 semifinals with Kim Clijsters and three in the same phase in 2005 in the match with Sharapova.
Photo: Clive Brunskill/Getty Images
Justine Henin (Belgium) – 2004
Henin won only one of his seven TBS titles in Australia. In 2004, the Belgian tennis player, seeded number one in Melbourne, only lost one match during the entire tournament. Her most difficult match, if we take the final out of the equation, was the quarterfinals for her, where Justine beat Lindsay Davenport (5) 7:5, 6:3. Well, in the decisive match, Henin won the Belgian derby against the second seed, Kim Clijsters, 6:3, 4:6, 6:3.
Photo: Ryan Pierse/Getty Images
Kim Clijsters (Belgium) – 2011
In 2011, Clijsters won his fourth and final Grand Slam title. The third-seeded Belgian made it through the semifinals without losing a set. In the round of 16, Kim defeated Vera Zvonareva (2) 6:3, 6:3. And in the decisive match she won a resounding victory over the representative of China, Li Na, who unexpectedly reached the final and took ninth place. Clijsters defeated his opponent, whose main successes came in the first half of the 1910s, by 3: 6, 6: 3, 6: 3.
Photo: Cameron Spencer/Getty Images
Sofia Kenin (United States) – 2020
A native of Moscow, who was ranked 14th in that tournament, managed to make a splash. Although Kenin only played once out of seven matches with an opponent who was above her in the ranking. But it was a semi-final with home crowd favorite Ashleigh Barty leading the way. Sofia won it 7:6 (8:6), 7:5. And in the decisive match Kenin won a resounding victory (4-6, 6-2, 6-2) over Garbiñe Muguruza, although not seeded, but still a two-time TBS champion.
Photo: Quinn Rooney/Getty Images
Ashleigh Barty (Australia) – 2022
Barty was unmatched in that tournament, as she did not give up a single game in seven games. In the first six games he lost only 21 games, that is, an average of 3.5 games per game. In the final, the Australian, first seeded in AO-2022, beat Danielle Collins (27) 6:3, 7:6 (7:2). It was Ashley’s third and last Grand Slam title. In March 2022, Barty unexpectedly announced her retirement before her 26th birthday.
Photo: Kelly Defina/Getty Images
Arina Sabalenko (Belarus) — 2023
The 2023 season was a real breakthrough for Sabalenka. The Belarusian won her first major, took the main trophy at the Australian Open and became the first racket in the world… In Melbourne, Arina, the fifth seed, lost only one set, although she faced such difficult opponents Like Elise. Mertens (26) and Belinda Bencic (12). And the final with Elena Rybakina (22) became the highlight of the entire tournament. Sabalenka won a resounding victory over the representative of Kazakhstan 4:6, 6:3, 6:4.
Photo: Clive Brunskill/Getty Images
Caroline Wozniacki (Denmark) – 2018
Wozniacki, who unexpectedly resumed her career in 2023, finally reached the peak she had been reaching for a long time in 2018. He became the world’s first racket in October 2010 and seven and a half years later he won his first and so far only trophy at the TBS. The Dane, seeded second, already had difficulties in the second round. In the game with Yana Fett, Carolina saved two match points. And in the final of the tournament, Wozniacki defeated Simona Halep (1), who at that time did not yet have any major title, 7:6 (7:2), 3:6, 6:4.
Photo: Adam Pretty/ALLSPORT
Lindsay Davenport (United States) – 2000
Davenport has won every TBS singles title once, except Roland Garros, where her best result was the semi-finals. Later, success came to her at the Australian Open. In 2000, the American was the strongest in that tournament. In seven matches, second-seeded Lindsay did not lose a single set. In the fourth round she defeated Anna Kournikova (11), then 18 years old, in the semifinals she defeated her compatriot Jennifer Capriati and in the decisive match she prevented Martina Hingis (1) from winning her fourth consecutive AO title. – 6:1, 7:5.
Photo: Cameron Spencer/Getty Images
Amélie Mauresmo (France) – 2006
The 2006 season was perhaps the best in Mauresmo’s career, considering that year he won not only the Australian Open, but also Wimbledon. The Frenchwoman, seeded third, fully deserved his success. It should be noted that the rivals in that tournament retired three times during her match with her. In the third round she did Michaela Krajicek, in the semi-finals Kim Clijsters (2) and in the final Justine Henin (8), who refused to continue the fight with a score of 6: 1, 2: 0. favor of Amelie.
