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Australian Open: Queens of Melbourne including Serena Williams, Maria Sharapova and Victoria Azarenka

The Australian Open has seen some of the greatest women's singles champions of all time, including Serena Williams, Maria Sharapova, Steffi Graf and Victoria Azarenka. We will be bringing you live blogs, match reports and reaction throughout the tournament

Naomi Osaka of Japan hold her trophy after winning the Women's Singles Final of the 2021 Australian Open on February 20 2021, at Melbourne Park in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Jason Heidrich/Icon Sportswire) (Icon Sportswire via AP Images)

Monday 17 January 2022 13:19, UK

We look back at some of the greatest-ever Australian Open women's singles champions from yesteryear.

Serena Williams - winner in 2003, 2005, 2007, 2009, 2010, 2015 & 2017

Serena Williams holds up a finger and her trophy after defeating her sister, Venus, in the women's singles final at the Australian Open tennis championships in Melbourne, Australia. Williams, defending champion has withdrawn from the 2018 Australian Open, saying she is not ready to return to tournament tennis. (AP Photo/Aaron Favila, File)
Image: Serena Williams still has her sights set on a record-equalling 24th Grand Slam

The 40-year-old American has held aloft the Daphne Akhurst Memorial Cup seven times during her trophy-laden career, but a landmark 24th Grand Slam title still eludes her as she looks to equal Margaret Court's all-time record. Could this finally be her year?

Serena Williams of the United States holds her champion trophy at the award ceremony after defeating Maria Sharapova of Russia in their women's singles final match of the 2015 Australian Open tennis tournament in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 31 January 2015.
Image: Williams remains one Grand Slam short of tying Margaret Court's record

Williams has beaten her sister Venus on two occasions in the final as well as old foe Maria Sharapova. The other names on her hit list include Lindsay Davenport, Dinara Safina, and Justine Henin.

Margaret Court - winner from 1960-1966, 1969-1971 & in 1973

Margaret Court holds up the Australian Open trophy in 2020 fifty years on from winning four Grand Slams in the calendar year
Image: Margaret Court is an 11-time winner of the Australian Open

Court holds the record for most Grand Slam titles with 24 but she has Serena breathing down her neck. She is an 11-time winner of her home tournament.

Court is also a four-time champion in the Open Era. The last of her titles came against Evonne Goolagong, who herself was a four-time winner, including a hat-trick of titles between 1974 and 1976.

Li Na - winner in 2014

Li Na, of China, holds the championship trophy after defeating Dominika Cibulkova of Slovakia in their women's singles final at the Australian Open tennis championship in Melbourne, Australia.
Image: China's Li Na won her second Grand Slam title and her first in Melbourne in 2014

Li Na gave Asia its first Grand Slam champion. She won her second Grand Slam title and her first in Melbourne, having finished as runner-up in 2011 and 2013, before retiring from the sport later in the year.

Former World No.1 and two time Australian Open champion, Chris Evert, center, pose with winner Li Na of China, right, and rummer-up Dominika Cibulkova of Slovakia during the trophy presentation of their women's singles final at the Australian Open tennis championship in Melbourne, Australia, Saturday, Jan. 25, 2014. (AP Photo/Rick Rycroft
Image: Li Na's victory speech was more famous than the performance against Dominika Cibulkova (left)

Her victory speech was more famous than the performance against Dominika Cibulkova as she thanked her high-profile agent Max Eisenbud for "making me rich" before singling out her husband and former coach Jiang Shan, long the butt of his wife's jokes, for special praise.

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Victoria Azarenka - winner in 2012 & 2013

Victoria Azarenka of Belarus, center, delivers a speech in front of runner-up Maria Sharapova of Russia, left, and former champion Martina Hingis, right during the awarding ceremony, after Azarenka won their women's singles final at the Australian Open tennis championship, in Melbourne, Australia, Saturday, Jan. 28, 2012. (AP Photo/Rick Rycroft)
Image: Victoria Azarenka was a back-to-back winner of the women's singles title in Melbourne

The Belarusian powered her way past Maria Sharapova to clinch the trophy for the first time in 2012 before retaining her title 12 months later against Li Na.

Kim Clijsters - winner in 2011

Defending champion Belgium's Kim Clijsters smiles during a practice session for the Australian Open tennis championship in Melbourne, Australia, Thursday, Jan. 12, 2012. (AP Photo/Mark Baker)
Image: Belgium's Kim Clijsters won the title as a mum in 2011

'Aussie Kim' claimed her fourth Grand Slam singles title and first outside of the US Open as she came out of retirement to win in Melbourne. This title would be the last of her career to date, although she has come out of retirement a second time in 2020.

Maria Sharapova - winner in 2008

Maria Sharapova celebrates after defeating Belinda Bencic in their fourth round match at the Australian Open tennis championships in Melbourne, Australia.
Image: Maria Sharapova's sole success came against Ana Ivanovic

Rather surprisingly the Russian's sole success in Melbourne came 13 years ago against Ana Ivanovic. That was the third of the five Grand Slam titles she has won during her career.

Justine Henin - winner in 2004

Kim Clijsters, of Belgium, left, shakes hands at the net with her compatriot, Justine Henin after her 6-2, 6-3, victory over Henin in their quarterfinal match at the Australian Open
Image: Justine Henin defeated fellow Belgian Clijsters to win her one and only title in Melbourne

The brilliant Belgian with a beautiful backhand beat compatriot Kim Clijsters to the title 6-3 in the third set.

Two years later Henin was forced to retire with illness midway through her match against Andy Murray's former coach Amelie Mauresmo. This was only the fourth Grand Slam women's singles final to end by retirement since 1900 and the first in open era.

Jennifer Capriati - winner in 2001 & 2002

Jennifer Capriati holding her trophy after defeating Martina Hingis in the women's singles final at the Australian Open tennis tournament in Melbourne, Australia. Capriati has been elected to the International Tennis Hall of Fame after an up-and-down career that saw her go from teen prodigy status to off-court troubles to Grand Slam champion. (AP Photo/Rick Stevens, File)
Image: Jennifer Capriati was the scourge of Martina Hingis in Melbourne

The talented young American won back-to-back Australian Open titles, beating Martina Hingis on both occasions.

Lindsay Davenport - winner in 2000

Lindsay Davenport of the United States returns to Alisa Kleybanova of Russia at the U.S. Open tennis tournament in New York Wedday, Aug. 27, 2008. (AP Photo/Elise Amendola)...
Image: Lindsay Davenport defeated Hingis to win the Australian Open

Hingis was on the wrong end of another major defeat in Melbourne when Davenport won the last of her three Grand Slam titles in straight-sets.

Martina Hingis - winner in 1997, 1998 & 1999

Swiss tennnis player Martina Hingis celebrates after defeating Pauline Parmentier of France at the US Open tennis tournament in New York. Five-time Grand Slam singles champion Hingis heads the 2013 class for the International Tennis Hall of Fame.
Image: Hingis was a three-time winner Down Under

There was some joy for Swiss star Hingis, who won three consecutive titles in Australia before her three straight defeats.

Monica Seles - winner in 1991, 1992, 1993 & 1996

Monica Seles holds the trophy and a toy Kangaroo after winning the women's final at the Australian Open tennis tournament in Melbourne, in this Jan. 27, 1996 file photo
Image: Monica Seles holds the Daphne Akhurst Memorial Cup and a toy Kangaroo in 1996

Seles was a four-time champion at the Australian Open, winning three times consecutively in the early 1990s. Her victory in 1996 was all the more remarkable after she returned to the game having taken two years out following an on-court attack, when a man stabbed her in the back during a tournament in April 1993.

Steffi Graf - winner in 1988, 1989, 1990 & 1994

German tennis player Steffi Graf holds the Daphne Akhurst Memorial Cup after winning the women's singles title at the Australian Open tennis tournament on 23 Jan. 1988, in Melbourne, Australia. Graf beat America's Chris Evert 6-1, 7-6.
Image: Steffi Graf is another four-time winner of the Australian Open

The German legend is also a four-time winner of the tournament, including three consecutive times from 1988 to 1990.

Of her 22 Grand Slam titles, her maiden title in Melbourne was special as she went on to win all four Grand Slams that year to complete an unprecedented Golden Slam.

Chris O'Neil - winner in 1978

ASHLEIGH BARTY (AUS) in action against 14th seed SOFIA KENIN (USA) on Rod Laver Arena in a Women's Singles Semifinal match on day 11 of the Australian Open 2020 in Melbourne, Australia.
Image: Australia's Ashleigh Barty will carry the weight of a nation on her shoulders at this year's Grand Slam

What makes O'Neil special? Well, she was the last Australian to lift the trophy 44 years ago. It was her one and only Grand Slam title too.

World No 1 Ashleigh Barty carries realistic hopes of raising the Daphne Akhurst Memorial Cup this year.

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