With the Aussie Open fast approaching, I thought it would be a good time to do a little bit of Indiana Jones-style excavation. I have decided to look at the recent history of the year’s first slam, hunting down the top five ladies’ finals of the 21st century.
I have had to make some brutal cuts: some people will probably be dismayed to not see Sabalenka’s 2023 triumph over Rybakina, or Serena’s epic three-set victory over her sister back in 2023. But such is the nature of lists.
5. 2004: Justine Henin bt Kim Clijsters (6-3, 4-6, 6-3)
This was one of three Grand Slam final clashes between the Belgian pair of Justine Henin and Kim Clijsters (and by far the best). Henin won all three of the clashes, but this was the one where Clijsters came closest to toppling her compatriot. Henin reigned supreme in the early stages of the match, pummeling Clijsters into submission with that exquisite one-handed backhand. Henin took the first set and then raced into a 4-0 lead in the 2nd. Clijsters then burst into life like Frankenstein’s monster, adopting a stand-and-deliver approach to reel off six straight games to take the 2nd set. The 3rd set went according to serve until Henin’s BMT came to the fore, as she broke Clijsters to go 5-3 up before winning the title on serve. Clijsters just couldn’t overcome Henin’s mental edge, eventually winning three of her four majors after Henin had started her staggered retirement.
4. 2016: Angelique Kerber bt Serena Williams (6-4, 3-6, 6-4)
Angelique Kerber took the tennis world by storm in her 2016 title-winning run, defying expectations to take down Grand Slam demigoddess Serena Williams in three sets. To put that into context, Kerber had never gone beyond the quarterfinal stage of a slam leading into the 2016 Aussie Open. But her ‘Crouching Tiger, Slamming Forehand’ style was a breath of fresh air: she would get down on her haunches to generate as much power as possible on her groundstrokes. She took the first set 6-4 before the inevitable Serena comeback levelled matters at one set apiece. But Kerber never floundered in the face of Serena’s aura, trading huge groundstrokes with the American deep into a 3rd set that she ultimately won 6-4. Quite a way to win the first of her three Grand Slam titles.
3. 2025: Madison Keys bt Aryna Sabalenka (6-3, 2-6, 7-5)
This choice has absolutely nothing to do with recency bias. Madison Keys brought the house down at last year’s Aussie Open, finally nabbing the elusive slam that her talent deserved. The hard-hitting American was- and still is- one of the few players on tour who can match Sabalenka’s raw hitting ability. And this turned into a bruising encounter, with Keys winning the first set 6-3 before Sabalenka blitzed the American 6-2 in the 2nd. At that point, the Vegas money would have been on Sabalenka to stroll to a 3rd straight Melbourne title. The 3rd set bought out the best in both women. Keys needed to play fearless tennis to hold in the 11th game, recovering from 15-30 down with a series of sensational winners. She then played the return game of a lifetime, swinging for the rafters to claim her maiden slam (there wasn’t a dry eye in the house).
2. 2019: Naomi Osaka bt Petra Kvitova (7-6, 5-7, 6-4)
This was the performance that vaulted Naomi Osaka into the World No.1 ranking. In the process, she became the first woman since Capriati in 2001 to follow her maiden Grand Slam title by winning the next one (Osaka had overcome Serena in that controversial US Open final in 2018). Two-time Wimbledon champ Kvitova was looking for a fairytale ending after surviving that horrendous knife attack just over two years earlier. It was a spectacular final full of brave hitting. Osaka won an evenly contested first set before Pliskova miraculously saved three match-points while serving at 3-5, 0-40 in the 2nd. That galvanized the Czech, who would go on to level the match at one set apiece. Osaka held firm in a competitive 3rd set, claiming the first of two Aussie Open titles.
1. 2002: Jennifer Capriati bt Martina Hingis (4-6, 7-6, 6-2)
Jennifer Capriati, who was enjoying a barely believable late-career renaissance, beat ‘Swiss Miss’ Hingis in the 2001 Aussie Open final. But that final paled in comparison to this epic. Hingis was a queen in Melbourne, playing in a 6th consecutive Aussie Open final (she won the first three). But the emergence of the Williams sisters- coupled with injuries- had put a dampener on her meteoric success. In fact, this would incredibly be the last Grand Slam final for either of these women. But what a way to go out. Hingis looked in inspired form, winning the first set 6-4 before racing into a 4-0 lead in the 2nd. But the American fought back to take the 2nd set to a tiebreak. The tiebreak was a topsy-turvy affair, with Capriati ultimately triumphing 9-7. It laid the foundation for Capriati to blitz the decider, essentially ending Hingis’ time in the upper echelons of the game.
