Since the Australian Open moved to Melbourne Park in 1988, Aussie players have thrived on the tournament’s hard courts.
As AO 2026 nears, we remember 10 of the best home-grown performances, matches which will be showcased on Tennis+ from 5-14 December as part of its ‘Best of Aussie Players’ promotion.
We revisit them here in chronological order.
1. Pat Cash d Ivan Lendl – 1988 semifinals
Cash was soaring when he embarked on his Australian Open 1988 campaign. The reigning Wimbledon champion and Aussie No.1 was bidding to repeat his run to the AO 1987 final – only this time, it wasn’t on Kooyong’s grass, but at the tournament’s new hard-court home at Melbourne Park.
Ranked seventh, Cash swept into the semifinals without losing a set, booking a rematch with world No.1 Lendl, whom he’d beaten in the 1987 Wimbledon final, and the AO 1987 semifinals.
Cash dominated that Wimbledon final, yet this match ebbed and flowed. The two superstars split four sets before Cash rode a wave of hometown support to prevail 6-4 2-6 6-2 4-6 6-2 – his third straight Grand Slam win over the legendary Czech.
“Lendl is regarded as the best hardcourt player in the world and a lot of people said I couldn’t beat him on hardcourt,” said Cash, in comments reported by the Los Angeles Times. “The fifth set came down to a battle of fitness and concentration and I came out on top.”
Tennis+ broadcast schedule:
3:55pm Sunday 14 December (AEDT)
8pm Wednesday 10 December (GMT)
2. Mark Philippoussis d Pete Sampras – 1996 third round
It would be eight years before another Australian man upset a world No.1 at a Grand Slam. The player to break through was Mark Philippoussis, who electrified AO 1996 with his coming-of-age performance against Pete Sampras under Rod Laver Arena’s lights.
Philippoussis, just 19 at the time, was playing in his hometown tournament and knew he could trouble Sampras – the reigning Wimbledon and US Open champ – after pushing the American to four sets just a few months earlier in New York.
Excited by the occasion, rather than overawed, Philippoussis overpowered Sampras, holding firm during a tense second-set tiebreak before winning in straight sets.
“I specifically remember that really nice long walk down to the centre court where you see all the past champions,” Philippoussis told ausopen.com. “I remember he was walking in front of me and ... I'm like, 'this guy's No.1 in the world'. And I'm like, 'you know, eff this guy, man, I'm going to go out and beat him'.”
Tennis+ broadcast schedule:
8:30pm Saturday 13 December (AEDT)
8pm Saturday 6 December (GMT)
3. Pat Rafter d Dominik Hrbaty – 2001 quarterfinals
Rafter wanted dearly to succeed at his home Slam, especially considering he was a back-to-back champion on US Open hard courts. Yet unlike the quick, lively cement at Flushing Meadows, the medium-paced, rubberised Rebound Ace courts did not similarly reward Rafter’s serve-and-volley style.
That was until everything clicked in 2001, when he advanced to his first AO quarterfinal and dropped only one set along the way. There, against tricky world No.16 Dominik Hrbaty, Rafter overcame the loss of the second set and increasingly dominated the Slovak, completing a 6-2 6-7(4) 7-5 6-0 triumph at Rod Laver Arena.
The win meant he completed his set of all four Grand Slam semifinals.
“It feels good to do it here. It feels very satisfying, relief, and it's really good to enjoy the crowd atmosphere as well,” Rafter said. “You don't get this quite anywhere else.”
Tennis+ broadcast schedule:
8:30pm Friday 12 December (AEDT)
8pm Monday 8 December (GMT)
4. Alicia Molik d Venus Williams – 2005 fourth round
While most of the best Aussie performances at Melbourne Park had belonged to the men, Molik changed that with her inspiring quarterfinal run.
Having risen from world No.29 to No.12 since late July 2004, and winning the Sydney International on the eve of AO 2005, Molik returned to the fourth round for the second straight year where she faced American legend Venus Williams – then a four-time major winner.
“It was the first [Australian] summer I really felt capable of delivering. And I was delivering,” Molik recalled. “There's so many matches you go into and you're sort of, ‘yeah, I've got a chance, I feel I might be able to do this’. But I actually knew I could beat her.”
Executing her aggressive game plan perfectly, Molik upset Williams 7-5 7-6(3) to reach her first major quarterfinal, as well as debut in the top 10.
“It was the culmination I think of the hard work, the belief, the preparation, the match wins in the lead-up,” said Molik, the first Aussie woman to reach an AO quarterfinal since 1988. "It's probably the time in my career where I felt I was at my peak powers.”
Tennis+ broadcast schedule:
8pm Thursday 11 December (AEDT)
8pm Sunday 7 December (GMT)
5. Lleyton Hewitt d Andy Roddick – 2005 semifinals
Already a two-time Grand Slam singles champion, Hewitt hadn’t gone beyond the fourth round in Melbourne. That changed in 2005 where, alongside Molik’s quarterfinal run, Hewitt made it a memorable centenary edition of the Australian Open.
Like Molik, Hewitt triumphed in Sydney, and fitter and more confident than ever, he outplayed a succession of quality opponents – James Blake, Juan Ignacio Chela, Rafael Nadal and David Nalbandian – to record his best ever AO result. His quarterfinal win over Nalbandian, 10-8 in the fifth set, energised fans and set up a thrilling semifinal against Andy Roddick, ranked one spot higher at world No.2.
Hewitt prevailed 3-6 7-6(3) 7-6(4) 6-1 for his fifth win in six matches against Roddick, becoming the first Australian into an AO singles final since Cash in 1988.
"It's awesome, it really is. It's a little bit hard to believe right at the moment. I know all the preparation that Rash [Roger Rasheed] and I have done for a long time to come into this tournament,” Hewitt said.
“I would have given anything to be in this position, to have an opportunity to play one match for the title here in Melbourne. Now part of that dream's come true.”
Tennis+ broadcast schedule:
8pm Wednesday 10 December (AEDT)
8pm Friday 5 December (GMT)
6. Jelena Dokic d Alisa Kleybanova – 2009 fourth round
Dokic produced a fairytale run to the Australian Open 2009 quarterfinals, after enduring many tumultuous years off court.
Ranked 187th and requiring a wildcard to enter the main draw, she captivated the nation as she upset seeds Anna Chakvetadze and Caroline Wozniacki – both matches played at night at Rod Laver Arena – en route to the fourth round, her best result at the tournament.
In an unforgettable three-set epic against 29th seed Alisa Kleybanova, she took a step further, winning 7-5 5-7 8-6 after more than three hours. She revealed she was physically exhausted, yet kept fighting regardless.
"Australian Open 2009 changed my life,” Dokic said in a 2023 interview on The AO Show. “And it changed my life when it comes to actually coming back to life, not just as an athlete, but as a person, [and] my relationship with the Australian fans and public.
“It was I think, to me, the best atmosphere I've ever had on a tennis court.”
Tennis+ broadcast schedule:
8pm Monday 8 December (AEDT)
8pm Friday 12 December (GMT)
7. Nick Kyrgios d Andreas Seppi – 2015 fourth round
Kyrgios announced himself as a superstar in the making after shocking world No.1 Rafael Nadal on Wimbledon’s Centre Court to reach the 2014 quarterfinals. Six months later at the Australian Open, the Aussie matched that result, reaching a second Slam quarterfinal with an eye-catching defeat of Andreas Seppi.
At AO 2015, Kyrgios worked his way through the draw and onto a bigger court each time, arriving at John Cain Arena (then known as Hisense Arena) to face Seppi – with the support of 10,000 pumped-up Aussie fans behind him.
Trailing two sets to love, the teenager demonstrated his unmatched shotmaking and showmanship as he pulled off a 5-7 4-6 6-3 7-6(5) 8-6 victory over the steady Seppi.
“It was the best feeling I ever had,” Kyrgios said. “I think this [quarterfinal compared to Wimbledon], it feels a bit better, honestly. There was a lot of expectation coming into this tournament… it's just massive, especially to do it in front of your home crowd.
“Hisense is an unbelievable court. I'd never played on it before. It's definitely my favorite court now.”
Tennis+ broadcast schedule:
8pm Saturday 6 December 2025 (AEDT)
8pm Thursday 11 December 2025 (GMT)
8. Daria Saville d Kristina Mladenovic – 2016 third round
Saville – then known by her maiden name Gavrilova – lit up Australian Open 2016 with her tenacious play and engaging personality.
She’d started the season brilliantly, combining with Kyrgios to win Australia’s first Hopman Cup title since 1999, and continued that momentum in Melbourne, upstaging world No.7 Petra Kvitova to reach her maiden Grand Slam third round.
Playing at Hisense Arena, Saville took on 28th seed Kristina Mladenovic, who cracked the top 10 the following year. And as the match progressed deep into the third set, the young Aussie star was lifted by a huge crowd, as she eventually completed a 6-4 4-6 11-9 victory.
“I never had a match like that in this stage,” Saville said, after almost three hours on court. “Yeah, I could say it is my best win of my whole career.”
She returned to the fourth round of the Australian Open in 2017.
Tennis+ broadcast schedule:
8pm Tuesday 9 December (AEDT)
8pm Saturday 13 December (GMT)
9. Ash Barty d Danielle Collins – 2022 final
Emulating Cash and Hewitt as the only Australians to reach a singles final at Melbourne Park, Barty took a step further in 2022, becoming the first Aussie player to win their home Grand Slam singles title since Chris O’Neil 44 years earlier.
The reigning Wimbledon champion was brilliant in January 2022. After losing the first set to Coco Gauff in her opening match at the Adelaide International, Barty won 20 consecutive sets to scoop that Adelaide title then arrive in her third major final at Melbourne Park.
Facing the gritty, determined Danielle Collins, Barty recovered from 5-1 down in the second set then fired a final forehand winner to complete an historic triumph and increase her grip on the world No.1 ranking.
Just six weeks later, she retired – leaving tennis on the ultimate high.
“That moment I was fully engrossed. It was such an incredible moment to share with so many people,” Barty reflected. “That crowd the night of the final of the Australian Open was like nothing I’ve ever played in front of before. It was so much fun to enjoy that with them, as well as my team.
“But it was a brilliant way to finish.”
Tennis+ broadcast schedule:
7:30pm Sunday 7 December (AEDT)
8pm Sunday 14 December (GMT)
10. Alexei Popyrin d Taylor Fritz – 2023 second round
Top-10 star Taylor Fritz was expected to prevail in this match at John Cain Arena. Yet he was aware of the danger Popyrin represented, given the Aussie’s potent combination of height, reach, power and athleticism.
Having previously been inside the top 60, Popyrin was ranked 113th at AO 2023 as he sought to rediscover form and momentum. An inspiring 6-7(4) 7-6(2) 6-4 6-7(6) 6-2 win over Fritz helped him on his way.
"Oh my God, this is crazy. This win means so much to me. I had the toughest year last year, didn't win many matches. I won as many matches this year as I won the whole of last year,” Popyrin said during an emotional on-court interview.
"I'm going to keep working, I'm going to keep pushing, I'm going to try and keep going all the way. I love this feeling and I want more of this feeling."
Tennis+ broadcast schedule:
8:30pm Friday 5 December (AEDT)
8pm Tuesday 9 December (GMT)
Honourable mention: Casey Dellacqua d Amelie Mauresmo – 2008 third round
The player rounding out this list was the one who conducted the emotional on-court interview with Popyrin.
Although not yet available to watch on Tennis+, Casey Dellacqua’s third-round upset of former world No.1 Amelie Mauresmo remains a tournament highlight.
Dellacqua had never won a main-draw match at the Australian Open until 2008, yet two thrilling wins in the first two rounds set up a third-round meeting with AO 2006 champion Maursemo, scheduled for the prime evening slot at Rod Laver Arena.
Just 22 years old and ranked 78th, Dellacqua’s 3-6 6-4 6-4 win nearly blew the roof off the arena – a result she described as “huge” in the course of her burgeoning career.
“I put a lot of pressure on myself and I know a lot of the other Australian tennis players did the same to want to play well in Australia,” Dellacqua revealed in a recent episode of The Sit-Down podcast.
“I don't think anyone expected me to win. I think everyone at that point, even my coach was like, well, whatever happens, happens. And deep inside I was like, no, I can win… it's not very often that you always had that type of self-belief or confidence.”