Plenty of storylines are reaching a fever pitch ahead of the tournament, as several women will head to the event with the belief that they can go on to win the title.

Aryna Sabalenka won the Australian Open in 2024, as she defended her crown from the year prior, and will be looking to become the first woman since Martina Hingis in 1999 to win three consecutive titles down under next year.

One of her biggest rivals, Coco Gauff won the WTA Finals at the end of 2024, and many believe she can carry that momentum into the first Major tournament of the new season.

Perhaps Sabalenka’s biggest rival, Iga Swiatek, won the French Open this year and can move one step closer to completing the Career Slam with a win in Australia.

Plenty of contenders on the hard courts in Melbourne, but what happened the last time the event was played on grass?

Hana Mandlikova: The woman who won the last grass court Australian Open in 1987

Before 1988, Wimbledon wasn’t the only Major tournament to be played on grass courts, as Melbourne also used the surface.

The Australian Open’s final tournament on grass in 1987 was a classic, as the two top players in the women’s game faced off for the title.

Martina Navratilova entered the tournament as world number one, having won the US Open, Wimbledon, and Tour Finals the year prior.

The 18-time Slam champion looked unbeatable and remarkably dropped just 17 games on her way to the final in Melbourne, not losing a set.

On the other side of the net in the final was Czech star Hana Mandlikova, the second seed heading into the tournament.

Mandlikova had won in Australia before as she took home the title in 1980, and had since added to her Major tally with wins at the French Open in 1981, and the US Open in 1985.

In fact, her title at Flushing Meadows in 1985 saw her become just the third woman to win a Slam on all three surfaces, after Navratilova and Chris Evert.

Mandlikova had a slightly tougher run to the final, as she battled past Julie Richardson, Carling Bassett, and Claudia Kohde-Kilsch, in five sets.

The Czech number one had contested her previous two Slam finals against Navratilova, coming out on top in New York two years prior, and losing to the American at Wimbledon in 1986.

She was keen to win the ‘best of three’ in Melbourne and got off to the perfect start as she took the first set 7-5.

The second set was even tighter, as the pair were very evenly matched with things going to a tiebreaker.

It wasn’t to be for Navratilova, however, as she lost the final ever grass court Australian Open final to Mandlikova 5-7, 6-7 (1-7).

Mandlikova was proud to win against one of her greatest rivals, as she revealed after the match.

“I am so thrilled to have beaten Martina [Navratilova] today,” she said.

“I respect her very much as a person and a player, I beat a legend out here today.”

Mandlikova’s fourth Major title was her last in singles, as injuries signaled a downturn in her form during the latter stages of her career.

She did, however, reach the quarter-finals of the first-ever hard court Australian Open, where she lost to Steffi Graf in straight sets.

A tournament that Mandlikova entered as an Australian, having attained citizenship on January 1, 1988.

She was pleased to have been granted the opportunity to represent a country that she loved.

“I really feel like I want to do something for the Australians, I want to represent them and I want to give something back because I love this country and I feel like I am at home,” said Mandlikova.

The now-Australian struggled for form on the singles court after her win in Melbourne, but won one last big title in doubles, as she poetically brought her rivalry with Navratilova to a close.

Working alongside one another, rather than on the opposite side of the court, Mandlikova and Navratilova stormed to the US Open doubles title in 1989.

She retired from the sport in 1990, having won four Major titles, and reached a career-high of number three in the world.

Post-retirement, Mandlikova picked up coaching, finishing off her Career Grand Slam as she guided Jana Novotna to the Wimbledon title in 1998.

A legend of the sport, Mandlikova will be remembered for her victories over Navratilova, and will forever remain the last woman to win the Australian Open on grass.

Why did the Australian Open change from grass to hard courts?

For much of the 20th Century, Grand Slam tournaments were played on grass, rather than hard courts.

The US Open was played on grass until 1974, whilst the Australian Open struggled on with the surface for another 13 years after that.

But why did the Australian’s make the decision to ditch grass for hard courts?

Well to put things simply, the grass was incredibly difficult to maintain, and the surface wasn’t nearly as ‘pristine’ as what fans are used to seeing at Wimbledon.

The harsh weather in the Australian summer caused the grass to dry up, leading to lots of slips and unpredictable bounces.

Some also believe that the Australian Open wanted to forge its own identity, as it had often been perceived as the least prestigious of the four Slams, and wanted something to help it stand out.

Therefore they switched to hard courts in 1988 and never looked back, as the event quickly attracted tennis stars from around the world who had previously skipped the opening Slam of the season.

It looks as if the surface is here to stay, but that didn’t stop the Australian Open from joking around with the idea of a ‘Timber surface’ back on April fools day seven years ago.

An interesting concept, but perhaps one that should be saved for April 1, as fans continue to enjoy the first hard court Slam of the year.

This year’s tournament is now less than a month away, with the Australian Open getting started on January 12.

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