Australian Open: Biggest Moments in Recent Years

The 2025 Australian Open is well underway, and there have been plenty of huge talking points already. Novak Djokovic is looking imperious once more as he looks to break the outright record for men’s singles titles. He has romped into the fourth round for the 17th time with a straight-sets victory against the 26th seed Thomas Machac. But the biggest moment of the action thus far came from the women’s side of the tournament.

American contender Danielle Collins harbors genuine hopes of winning her first Grand Slam in Melbourne. However, in her recent clash against local hero Destanee Aiava, she was booed and jeered relentlessly. But not one to be over-roared, the world number 11 came out fighting.

The 31-year-old repeatedly told the notoriously vocal Aussie crowd to “shut up.” Then, when she secured the straight sets victory, she asked the Melbourne faithful, “How about that?” before gesturing that they could kiss her behind. The boos rained down, but she didn’t care one bit, sailing off into the latter stages of the competition and providing the tournament with its biggest viral moment so far this year.

But with Collins’ tumultuous showdown firmly in mind, which moments has she followed in the footsteps of? Here are the biggest moments from recent Australian Opens.

Nadal triumphs in 2022

The 2022 Australian Open will forever be remembered as a tournament showered in drama before it even began. Novak Djokovic, the world’s number one at the time and the nine-time reigning champion, became the center of a storm. The Serbian star arrived in the Land Down Under in the midst of a visa row, something that ultimately resulted in his deportation.

The absence of the defending champion left the door wide open and Rafael Nadal seized the opportunity to cement his legacy. The Spaniard had not been considered a favorite heading into the tournament, but he managed one last renaissance as he powered his way to the final, beating the likes of Matteo Berrettini and Denis Shapovalov on the way.

In the final, the King of Clay met Daniil Medvedev and the Russian raced into a two-set lead. Yet, in a performance that epitomized grit and determination, Nadal roared back to claim a 2–6, 6–7, 6–4, 6–4, 7–5 victory in over five hours. His win made him the first man in history to win 21 Grand Slam singles titles, taking him one clear of both Djokovic and Roger Federer to give him the lead in the greatest of all-time race.

This year, the Australian Open will power on without Nadal for just the third time in the last 20 years and the first time in a decade, following the Spaniard’s retirement from the sport. The 38-year-old now has more time to enjoy his hobbies, including his penchant for playing online poker. The second-most successful player of all time has occasionally been seen at casinos all over the globe, and he can now dedicate more hours to playing games such as Ignition Online Poker, keeping him busy in his new life outside of tennis.

Over the years, Nadal has also been spotted playing the skill game in Monte Carlo in Monaco, sometimes accompanied by his rival Djokovic. During a 2015 YouTube interview with poker stars Vanessa Selbst and Melanie Weisner, he openly expressed his love for the game, and we can only hope that he thoroughly enjoys his time during his well-deserved retirement.

Murray rolls back the years

The 2023 Australian Open delivered one of the most heartwarming stories in recent memory, courtesy of Andy Murray. Known for his tenacity and sheer willpower, the Scottish former Grand Slam winner entered the tournament as an unseeded wildcard and underdog. The then-35-year-old has reached the Melbourne-hosted final five times in the past, inexplicably losing everyone.

However, by 2023, he had struggled for several years after a hip injury forced him to have a metal replacement installed. That torpedoed his career and took him away from the top of the ATP rankings, removing him as a threat to win the Slams. But two years ago, he rolled back the years to deliver not one but two of his greatest-ever performances.

His first-round encounter against Matteo Berrettini immediately set the tone for his tournament revival. Facing the 13th seed, Murray was a huge underdog but he stunned everyone by racing into a two-set lead. The Italian came roaring back, winning sets three and four, and just when it looked like the five-time finalist was down and out, tennis’ resident miracle man managed one last hurrah. He won the final set after a super tie-break decider, setting up a second-round clash with home favorite Thanasi Kokkinakis.

Once again, Murray looked down and out. He lost the first two sets and had a breakdown in the third before something miraculous happened. Murray somehow managed to break back and win the third set in a tiebreak. He then tied things up at two sets apiece, before winning the fifth set in a tiebreak once more, claiming one of his greatest-ever victories after almost five hours of grueling tennis, and ten hours total.

After the match, an emotional Murray quipped, “I’ve got a big heart, and I left everything out there. At this stage of my career, these are the matches you live for.” While he eventually bowed out in the third round, Murray’s heroic performances reinvigorated his legacy as one of the game’s great competitors.

// Sponsored Content