'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
The 2025 Australian Open is just around the corner, with the top stars from the tennis world gearing up for their shot at Grand Slam glory. Many American women have made their mark in Melbourne over the years, but few who have won the year's first Grand Slam have seemingly faded away from the limelight.
Serena Williams is perhaps the greatest women's tennis player ever to play in the Australian Open, having won a record seven titles in the Open Era. Her compatriots Martina Navratilova and Chris Evert also built formidable reputations in Melbourne. Many other American women have also lifted the Daphne Akhurst trophy in their careers.
With that said, let's take a look at four women who you might not remember winning the Australian Open for the US:
Trending
#4 Sofia Kenin
Sofia Kenin was the last American woman to win the Australian Open. The 26-year-old achieved the feat in 2020 when, as the 14th seed, she dropped just two sets en route to the title. Kenin began her campaign with three consecutive straight-set wins over Martina Trevisan, Ann Li, and Zhang Shuai.
She needed three sets to get the better of future US Open champion Coco Gauff in the fourth round. After seeing off Ons Jabeur and Ashleigh Barty, Kenin came up against Garbine Muguruza and showed incredible grit to come back from a set down and emerge victorious.
Since the 2020 Australian Open, Kenin has struggled with injuries and form and briefly fell out of the top 150 in the WTA ranking. She is currently ranked World No. 81.
#3 Lindsay Davenport
Lindsay Davenport won three Grand Slam titles in her career, the last of which was the Australian Open. She won the trophy in Melbourne in 2000 and did not drop a set throughout the tournament. Seeded second, Davenport easily defeated Sarah Pitkowski, Marissa Irvin, Aline Jidkova, and Anna Kournikova in the initial rounds.
Following straight sets wins over Julie Halard-Decugis and Jennifer Capriati, Davenport faced three-time defending champion and top seed Martina Hingis in the final. While the challenge was enormous, the American was up to the task and bettered the Swiss star to win the title.
The emergence of Venus and Serena Williams, paired with falling form, saw the spotlight move away from Davenport a bit after the 2020 Australian Open. But she consistently made it to the Grand Slam semifinals and a couple of finals after 2000.
#2 Jennifer Capriati
Jennifer Capriati was one of the biggest young talents when she made her tour debut at the age of 13 in 1990. At the time, she set many youngest-ever records. However, personal struggles saw the American take a 14-month break after the 1993 US Open. Her return to the top was slow and steady, and she finally won a Grand Slam title at the 2001 Australian Open.
Seeded 12th at the tournament, Capriati bettered the likes of Monica Seles, defending champion Lindsay Davenport, and Martin Hingis to win the title. She successfully defended her crown in Melbourne in 2002 by once against bettering Hingis in the final. However, Capriati hung up her racket two years later.
#1 Monica Seles
Monica Seles might be a surprising inclusion. However, she earned her place on this list because her last Grand Slam title came after she switched nationalities from Yugoslav to American. Seles won nine Grand Slam titles in her career, eight of which came when she represented erstwhile Yugoslavia on the WTA Tour from 1988 to 1994.
After the infamous 1993 stabbing incident, Seles took a two-year break and returned to the tour in 1995. During this period, she switched nationality to represent the USA. On her return to professional tennis, the former World No. 1 won her ninth and final Grand Slam title at the 1996 Australian Open.
Seles dropped just one set during the tournament and bettered Anke Huber in the title contest. Interestingly, this was Seles' fourth Australian Open title in as many appearances at the tournament (1991, 1992, 1993, and 1996).
