Tennis is a globally recognized sport, where players come from different parts of the world to make a name. However, many great legends came from Australia.
Australia gave many talented players who engraved their name in the history of tennis. There are so many great Australian players that it’s hard to just choose “Top 10 Greatest Australian Tennis Players in History.”
The calculations are complex to rank the top 10, as every player differs from each other and became great in a category. The Grand Slam is the most prestigious event in the sport. Therefore, we will rank the player according to their achievements in the sport.
#10. Evonne Goolagong Cawley
Evonne Goolagong Cawley is one of the greatest players to hail from Australia. She bagged seven Grand Slam singles titles throughout her career. Aside from her majors, she also lifted 86 singles titles and among which 18 are from Amateur Era.
Evonne Goolagong Cawley. (Source: Getty Images)
Cawley dominated her hometown Grand Slam, winning the Australian Open four times and also adding five more from the doubles division. Apart from her major titles recognition, she was also the World No.1 and also in 1980, became the first mother to win the Wimbledon in 66 years. Evonne further captained the Australian team to Fed Cup success in 1971, 1973 and 1974.
#9. Norman Brookes
It is not wrong to say that Norman Brookes is a pioneer for Australian men’s tennis, as he was the first Australian man and also the first Non-British to lift the Wimbledon twice.
Norman Brookes. (Source: Getty Images)
Apart from lifting seven Grand Slam titles, including three at singles and four at doubles, Brookes also led the Australian squad to glory six times at the Davis Cup. The Australian legend also became the president of the Lawn Tennis Association of Australia. Further, the Australian Open men’s singles title in named after the Aussie legend. Because of his phenomenal contribution to the history of Australian tennis.
#8. Tony Roche
Tony Roche is one of the most successful player in the history of Australia. The former World No. 2 had only one Grand Slam singles title throughout his career, but had a great run in doubles, lifting 15 major titles there.
Tony Roche. (Source: Getty Images)
Apart from his success as a player, the Australian legend is also recognized as a magnificent coach, who coached World No. 1 players like Ivan Lendl, Patrick Rafter, Roger Federer and Lleyton Hewitt, and under his guidance they also won Grand Slam titles.
#7. Jack Crawford
Jack Crawford dominated the sport during the 30s, and was known for his baseline playing. The Australian wasn’t fast like most, but had dominant senses to predict his opposition’s moves.
Jack Crawford. (Source: Getty Images)
Crawford lifted six major singles, including four titles at his hometown Grand Slam. He also had outstanding success at doubles, winning six Grand Slam doubles and five major mixed doubles. However, the most memorable was him winning three Grand Slams in 1935, and his failure at US Open that year kept him away from lifting the Golden Grand Slam in a single calender year.
#6. Ashley Cooper
Ashley Cooper was one of the greatest Australian tennis players in history, who dominated the last decade of the Amateur Era in tennis.
Ashley Cooper. (Source: Getty Images)
The Australian legend bagged four Grand Slam singles titles in her career, and three of them were in 1958, but failing at the French Open kept him away from a Golden Grand Slam. Apart from the success at singles, he also had great success at doubles, winning the four Grand Slam Doubles titles.
#5. Ken Rosewall
Ken Rosewall is another greatest Australian tennis player, who played in both the Amateur and Open Era. He achieved great heights in both the era and even considered one of the best player in the world.
Ken Rosewall. (Source: Getty Images)
Rosewall won eight Grand Slam titles in her career and also bagged 15 Pro Slam titles, a format for professional players prior to the Open era. In the 1971 Australian Open, he won the title without loosing a set and thus became the first man to do so in the Open Era. Further, he was the only known man to win Pro Grand Slam titles on three different surfaces.
#4. John Newcombe
John Newcombe, the Australian legend not only successful in singles but also at doubles, attaining the World No.1 in both the categories.
John Newcombe. (Source: Getty Images)
The Aussie lifted seven Grand Slam singles titles and also 17 major titles at Doubles. Further, he also added two Mixed Doubles major titles in his successful career. He also led Australia to Davis Cup success five times. Also he became the president of the Association of Tennis Professionals in 1977 and 1978.
#3. Roy Emerson
At third place on this list of “Top 10 Greatest Australian Tennis Players in History” we got Roy Emerson. The Australian player bagged 28 Grand Slam titles in his career, including 12 major singles and 16 major doubles titles.
Roy Emerson. (Source: Getty Images)
The former World No.1 is also the only known man to lift career Grand Slam in both singles and doubles categories. He had six Australian Open titles, which were a record of his time and only overtaken by Novak Djokovic. Further, he also had a great career at Davis Cup, leading Australia to victory eight times.
#2. Margaret Court
Margaret Court is not only the most successful tennis player in Australia but also in the world. The Australian lifted 24 Grand Slam singles title in her career, which still remains an unbroken record in both men and women categories.
Margaret Court. (Source: Getty Images)
Court dominated the courts during the time when star players like Doris Hart, Martina Navratilova and Billie Jean King. The Australian player’s success was not only limited to singles, as she also won 19 doubles and 21 mixed doubles titles. The former World No.1 not only lifted the Golden Grand Slam in singles but also in Mixed Doubles twice in 1963 and 1965.
#1. Rod Laver
When we are talking about the greatest Australian tennis players in history, how can we not talk about Rod Laver. This man’s legacy is not only limited to Australia, but to the whole tennis community.
Rod Laver. (Source: Getty Images)
Laver conquered the top spot in tennis during both Amateur and Open Era, as he was the World No.1 for four years before and three years after the beginning of the Open Era. The Australian legend was also known for his versatility, as he excelled at all kinds of surfaces of his time, like grass, clay, hard, carpet, and wood. Apart from the individual success, he also helped Australia win Davis Cup five times, during his time this tournament was as important as a Grand Slam.
Rod Laver had such an impact in the history of tennis that Laver Cup and Rod Laver Arena are named after him.
