The most successful male players in the history of the Australian Open

2023 is now just around the corner, and for tennis fans, excitement is already through the roof. The main reason for that is, of course, the Australian Open. The first grand slam of the year gets underway on January 16th, and the men’s singles final will take place on January 29th from the Rod Laver Arena in Melbourne.

Rafael Nadal heads into the tournament as the reigning champion. In January 2022, he won the tournament down under for just the second time in his career and for the first time since 2009. He took full advantage of Novak Djokovic’s absence, defeating the likes of Denis Shapovalov and Matteo Berrettini en route to a final showdown with Daniil Medvedev.

The Russian is a superstar in his own right and lifted his first and only slam when he won the US Open in 2021, and he gave Nadal all he could handle in the Melbourne showpiece. In the end, however, it was the Spaniard who came back from two sets down to win 3-2 in one of the all-time great finals.

This year, however, Djokovic will return, and it will be interesting to see how Nadal fairs against the greatest hardcourt player of all time. The website OddsChecker, which compares tennis odds and offers, has made the Serbian superstar the favourite for the crown this year, and it would take a brave punter to bet against him. 

The Australian Open is one of the most prestigious tournaments in the sport. It is the first major of the year, and a big opportunity for players to prove their worth on the court. The tournament has been held since 1905, and over the years some of the biggest names in tennis have left their mark on the event. But which male players have won the most Australian Opens?

The inaugural Australia Open was held in 1905 at the Warehouseman's Cricket Ground in Melbourne, marking the beginning of a long and illustrious history of the Australian Open. The tournament, originally called the Australasian Championships, was open to players from both Australia and New Zealand and featured both men's and women's singles and doubles competitions. The first men's singles champion was a New Zealander, Anthony Wilding, who defeated Australian Norman Brookes in the final. Wilding went on to win three more titles in the tournament, establishing himself as one of the greatest players of the era. In the women's singles, the first champion was Australian May Sutton, who defeated compatriot Doreen Manton in the final.

Novak Djokovic is at the top of the list, having won the tournament a record nine times. His first victory came in 2008, and he dominated the event in the following decade, winning seven more titles between 2011 and 2020. Djokovic’s biggest wins have come against Andy Murray in the 2011 final, and Rafael Nadal in the 2012 and 2013 finals.

Djokovic has twice completed a hat trick at the tournament. He won three consecutive Australian Opens between 2011 and 2013, before repeating the feat again between 2019 and 2021. Had it not been for global events in 2022, he may well have become the first player in the Open Era to win four consecutive championships, but alas, it wasn’t to be.

This year, Djokovic will return to Melbourne with a point to prove. As mentioned, he wasn’t allowed to play in the event last January due to a decision made by event organizers and the local authorities, and he will be looking to make them rue their decision next month.

Next on the list is Roger Federer, who has won the tournament six times. His first victory came in 2004, and he went on to win three more titles between 2006 and 2010. Federer’s biggest wins have come against Andy Roddick in the 2004 final, and Nadal in the 2006 and 2007 finals.

Federer won back-to-back championships in the latter years of his career, winning in 2017 and 2018, with the latter coming at the ripe old age of 36, making him the oldest Grand Slam winner since Ken Rosewell in 1972.

In the 2018 tournament, Federer was the one who capitalized on injuries suffered by his three main rivals, Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal, and Andy Murray. He would defeat Marian Cilic in a nail-biting final to win a record-equalling sixth crown, a record which has since been smashed by the aforementioned Serbian.

The year before, Federer was once again in pole position to pounce. Djokovic suffered a shocking second-round exit at the hands of wildcard Denis Istomin while world number one Murray was stunned by Mikhail Zverev. That would leave Federer and Nadal to battle it out for the crown, with Federer coming out on top in a five-set thriller.

Third on the list is Roy Emerson, who won the tournament six times. He won his first title in 1961 and went on to win five consecutive titles between 1963 and 1967. Emerson’s biggest win came against Rod Laver in the 1964 final. All of Emerson’s victories came before the birth of the Open Era in 1969 however. No one has managed to match Emerson’s record of five consecutive championships, and with Djokovic’s streak being snapped at three in 2021, it's a record that may never be broken.

Fourth on the list is Andre Agassi, who won the tournament four times. His first victory came in 1995 when he defeated American compatriot Pete Sampras in four sets, and he went on to win three titles in four tournaments between 2000 and 2003.

Agassi and Sampras - who won titles in 1994 and 1997 - were thought by many to be two of the greatest players of all time. But in recent years, they have been surpassed by the Fantastic Four: Djokovic, Nadal, Federer, and Murray.

These four players have been the most successful male tennis players in the history of the Australian Open. Their names will be remembered for years to come, and their records may never be broken.