Men's Tennis: 5 great Grand Slam Champions who never won the Australian Open

#4 Lleyton Hewitt

Lleyton Hewitt - the last Australian to be ranked World Number 1

Australia's Lleyton Hewitt, nicknamed 'Rusty', was a relentless baseline hitter who is most famous for his 5-set duels and remarkable victories salvaged from losing positions.

The last Australian to win a Grand Slam title, Hewitt was the darling of the Aussie crowd each time. Each time he stepped on the Melbourne courts chants of 'Rusty' and 'Let's go Rusty' would reverberate the arenas.

Much was expected of the youngest ever player to rise to the top of the ATP rankings. And he certainly didn't disappoint. Winning the US Open in 2001 at the age of just 20, Hewitt became the first Australian since Pat Cash to win Wimbledon when he did so in 2002.

Hewitt's best performance at the Australian Open was a runner-up finish in 2005. Despite taking the first set and having the entire crowd behind him, Hewitt lost the next 3 sets and consequently the match.

Hewitt has however made Australia proud on many occasions including helping the country win the Davis Cup twice in 1999 and 2003.

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#3 John McEnroe

John McEnroe at the 2018 Ryder Cup

Maverick Germany-born American John McEnroe was one of the foremost exponents of crisp volleying and superior net play in the singles field. McEnroe was a mercurial personality who awed the tennis audience in the 1980's with his firebrand displays. Most people talk only about McEnroe's singles game but he is one of the most under-rated doubles players of all-time with 9 Grand Slams in his cabinet.

McEnroe is the only men's player to have been ranked Number 1 in both Singles and Doubles in the Open Era. The Stanford University graduate provided the tennis world with many memorable matches in the 1980's mostly with his great rival Bjorn Borg. 7-time Grand Slam champion McEnroe never managed to win the Australian Open with his best finish coming in 1983 when he was a semi-finalist.