The Australian Open is one of the four biggest titles up for grabs in tennis, and now takes pride of place right at the start of the calendar year in January.

However, that has not always been the case, with the tournament chopping and changing dates throughout its history.

And, across five different editions across the mid-1970s and early 1980s, the action took place over Christmas Day at the Kooyong Tennis Club in Melbourne.

We look at those tournaments and the past Australian Open champions whose triumphs had a rather festive feel.

1975

Dates: December 21st 1974 – January 1st 1975

The first year of the Open Era when action took place over December 25th, the 1975 Australian Open started four days before Christmas Day 1974 and ended on New Year’s Day 1975.

Home favourite John Newcombe starred in front of his home crowd in the men’s singles draw, beating Jimmy Connors in a four-set final to lift his seventh and last major singles title.

Evonne Goolagong ensured an Aussie double with the singles titles, defeating a teenage Martina Navratilova – competing in her first Slam final – in straight sets to capture the women’s title.

1977 (December)

Dates: December 19 – 31st 1977

Strangely enough, there were two Australian Open events held in 1977 due to a change of schedule, with the latter taking place right at the end of the year.

Vitas Gerulaitis was champion in the men’s event, with the former world No 1 winning his sole Grand Slam singles title with a five-set victory over John Lloyd in the final.

Meanwhile, Goolagong once again reigned supreme in the women’s draw, winning her home major for the fourth and final time with a convincing victory over compatriot Helen Gourlay.

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1978

Dates: December 25th 1978 – January 3rd 1979

Players had no time to open their Christmas presents in 1978 – with action starting on the big day itself.

Men’s singles action was won by Argentinian icon Guillermo Vilas, beating home favourite John Marks in a four-set final to claim his first title Down Under.

Chris O’Neil was the women’s singles champion, with the Australian winning her first and only career singles title with a straight-sets victory over American Betsy Nagelsen.

O’Neil was the tournament’s first unseeded women’s champion of the Open Era and remained the last home player to win the women’s title until Ashleigh Barty’s victory in 2022.

1979

Dates: December 24th 1979 – January 2nd 1980

A year after starting on Christmas Day, the 1979 Australian Open was also very festive – with action beginning on Christmas Eve and extending into the start of 1980.

Vilas successfully defended his crown in the men’s singles event, beating American John Sadri in a straight-sets final to win his fourth and final Grand Slam title.

Barbara Jordan was champion in the women’s event, defeating Sharon Walsh in an all-American clash to win her sole major.

1981

Dates: December 24th 1981 – January 3rd 1982

The Australian Open again started on Christmas Eve in 1981, the fifth and final year of action taking place over Christmas Day.

This time it was just the men’s singles held over the Christmas period, with the women’s event – won by Navratilova – held earlier in the month.

Johan Kriek triumphed in the final, defeating Steve Denton to win the first of two consecutive titles in Kooyong.

Boxing Day battles

The Australian Open had a continued festive flavour across the era, with the event starting on Boxing Day on a handful of occasions.

1972: Men’s singles – Ken Rosewall; Women’s singles – Virginia Wade
1973: Men’s singles – John Newcombe; Women’s singles – Margaret Court
1974: Men’s singles – Jimmy Connors; Women’s singles – Evonne Goolagong
1976: Men’s singles – Mark Edmondson; Women’s singles – Evonne Goolagong
1980: Men’s singles – Brian Teacher; Women’s event held earlier in the year

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