Australian tennis returns to glory days with 45-year first

by Admin
September 8, 2024

An incredible seven Australian players have won a Grand Slam men’s doubles title within the past three years.

New York, USA, 8 September 2024 | Leigh Rogers

Jordan Thompson has become the seventh Australian to capture a Grand Slam men’s doubles title within the past three years.

The 30-year-old clinched his maiden major title at the US Open today, teaming with compatriot Max Purcell to become the first all-Australian team in 28 years to triumph at Flushing Meadows.

> READ: Purcell and Thompson crowned men’s doubles champions at US Open 2024

Thompson’s Grand Slam breakthrough achieves an incredible 45-year first and reaffirms Australia’s status as a doubles powerhouse.

It marks the first time since 1979 that seven different Australians won a Grand Slam men’s doubles title within a three-year period.

Grand Slam men’s doubles champions since 2022 Australian winners
Event	Champions
Australian Open 2022	Thanasi Kokkinakis (AUS)/Nick Kyrgios (AUS)
Wimbledon 2022	Matt Ebden (AUS)/Max Purcell (AUS)
Australian Open 2023	Rinky Hijikata (AUS)/Jason Kubler (AUS)
Australian Open 2024	Matt Ebden (AUS)/Rohan Bopanna (IND)
US Open 2024	Max Purcell (AUS)/Jordan Thompson (AUS)

Players from eight different countries have claimed Grand Slam men’s doubles titles in the past three years, with Australia’s impressive tally of seven major champions more than double that of the next best-performing nation.

Grand Slam men’s doubles champions since 2022 Winners by nation
Nation	Champions
Australia	7 (Matt Ebden, Max Purcell, Nick Kyrgios, Thanasi Kokkinakis, Rinky Hijikata, Jason Kubler, Jordan Thompson)
Great Britain	3 (Joe Salisbury, Neal Skupski, Henry Patten)
Croatia	2 (Ivan Dodig, Mate Pavic)
Netherlands	2 (Jean-Julien Rojer, Wesley Koolhof)
USA	2 (Rajeev Ram, Austin Krajicek)
El Salvador	1 (Marcelo Arevalo)
Finland	1 (Harri Heliovaara)
India	1 (Rohan Bopanna)

The enduring John Peers, a former world No.2 doubles player, does not feature among these seven Australians. However, he has won a US Open mixed doubles title and an Olympic gold medal within the past three years, further highlighting Australia’s notable depth in doubles.

“I feel like Australian doubles has always had good players,” Purcell said. “We had Peersy before us going deep in Slams, and Ebby [Matt Ebden] last year had a really good run and then into the start of this year, myself and Ebby a couple years before that.

“I just think we’re such well-rounded players that when we need to play doubles and figure out how to win doubles matches, we’ve got more than enough court craft to do that.”

Purcell, who first teamed up with Thompson in a Davis Cup match in 2022, also acknowledges the positive momentum and camaraderie within Australian tennis helps.

“We all kind of stick together, Thommo and I especially,” Purcell said. “That’s a huge factor in why we win.”

Find your way to play: Visit play.tennis.com.au to get out on court and have some fun!