It’s been a quarter of a century since Centre Court, the grandest stage at the Australian Open, was renamed Rod Laver Arena in honour of one of the greatest players of all time.
To celebrate the 25th anniversary of this renaming, we re-live some unforgettable moments that have transpired on the iconic court.
2000
Lindsay Davenport clinches her first and only AO title by upsetting three-time defending champion Martina Hingis.
The result snapped Hingis' 27-match unbeaten run at the tournament, as well as her 25-match winning streak at Rod Laver Arena.
2001
Pat Rafter loses a dramatic semifinal against Andre Agassi, during which he led two-sets-to-one before cramps took hold in the humidity of the evening.
FLASHBACK: Agassi overcomes Rafter in dramatic 2001 semifinal
It was the Australian’s best run at his home major and his last match at the AO.
2002
Jennifer Capriati saves four championship points to eventually snatch victory from the jaws of defeat against Hingis.
The triumph saw Capriati defend her AO title and win her third major trophy, after Roland Garros in 2001.
It was the last Grand Slam title of her career.
2003
A 20-year-old Serena Williams earns her first AO title to seal her first of two ‘Serena Slams’, the feat of holding all four major trophies at the same time.
She beat sister Venus in the final, as she had also done in the finals of Roland Garros, Wimbledon and the US Open the previous year.
2004
Roger Federer claims his first AO title and second Grand Slam trophy, a victory that elevated him to world No.1 for the first time.
Federer beat Safin in a straight-sets final.
2005
Safin rebounded the following year to secure his first and only AO crown, breaking the hearts of Australian fans by defeating Lleyton Hewitt in the final.
READ MORE: McNamee recalls “sad and lonely” Safin’s triumph
Hewitt’s memorable run marked the first time the host nation had an AO singles finalist since Pat Cash in 1988.
2006
Marcos Baghdatis raises his arms wide, letting the rain wash over him as play is halted when the Cypriot is three points away from securing a semifinal victory.
Upon the resumption of play, he would beat David Nalbandian, completing a comeback from two-sets-to-love down to reach his first and only Grand Slam final.
2007
Ranked No.81, Serena Williams becomes the first unseeded player to win the AO women’s singles title since Chris O’Neill in 1978.
The American toppled six seeds en route to the title including top seed Maria Sharapova, who won just three games in a lopsided final.
2008
Jo-Wilfried Tsonga overwhelms second seed Rafael Nadal in the semifinals to reach the only Grand Slam final of his career.
"It's ridiculous for sure. Everything was perfect," Tsonga said after his 6-2 6-3 6-2 win.
2009
Spanish southpaws Fernando Verdasco and Nadal treat fans to an unforgettable five-set epic, setting a record – at the time – for the longest AO match ever played at 5 hours and 14 minutes.
2010
An emotional Andy Murray is defeated by Federer in the men’s singles final and displays a level of vulnerability rarely exhibited by male athletes.
“I can cry like Roger, it's just a shame I can't play like him,” said the Brit in a heartfelt speech during the trophy ceremony.
2011
“I finally feel like you guys can call me ‘Aussie Kim’,” said Kim Clijsters after her three-set win over Li Na to capture the women’s singles title.
HONOUR ROLL: AO women's singles champions
She became the first mother to win the title since Evonne Goolagong Cawley in 1977.
2012
Novak Djokovic and Nadal battle for a record 5 hours and 53 minutes, the longest Grand Slam final in the Open Era.
Celebrating match point a 1.37am, the Serb ripped his polo shirt in a moment of absolute ecstasy.
2013
A fourth-round classic between Djokovic and Stan Wawrinka extends all the way to 12-10 in the fifth set, producing what many believe to be one of the greatest match points of all time.
2014
Rod Laver hits with Federer on the eve of the tournament, which the Swiss star later described as an “honour” and an “absolute dream come true.”
2015
Nadal survives a second-round scare before going on to beat American Tim Smyczek 7-5 in the fifth set.
The match is remembered for Smyczek's sporting gesture at a critical juncture of the match. As Nadal served for a place in the third round, his service motion was interrupted by a fan calling out, only for Smyczek to offer Nadal the opportunity to take another first serve.
“Is true that what (Smyczek) did at the end of the fifth is just amazing,” Nadal acknowledged.
2016
Angelique Kerber upsets Serena Williams in a thrilling three-set final to win her first Grand Slam singles title.
In the first round, Kerber was one point away from exiting the tournament, saving a match point to beat Misaki Doi before going on to win the first of three career major trophies.
2017
A 35-year-old Federer, returning from injury, secures his fifth AO crown after recovering from a 1-3 deficit in the fifth set against longtime rival Nadal.
The Swiss' sportsmanship shone through, as he said: “Tennis is a tough sport, there’s no draws. But if there was going to be one, I would have been very happy to accept a draw tonight and share it with Rafa. Really."
2018
Caroline Wozniacki defeats Simona Halep to earn the women’s singles crown, achieving a lifelong dream and reclaiming the No.1 ranking after six years.
The Dane became the first player from her nation to win a major singles title.
This remains the most recent Grand Slam women's single final between the world No.1 and No.2
2019
Naomi Osaka regroups after squandering three championship points in the second set against Petra Kvitova to seal victory and claim her maiden AO title.
The win propels the Japanese star to the No. 1 ranking, making her the first male or female of Asian descent to ever reach the pinnacle of the sport.
2020
Djokovic earns his eighth AO crown, defeating Dominic Thiem in five sets to become the first man in the Open Era to earn a major singles title in three separate decades.
It remains the only time in 10 AO final victories that Djokovic has recovered from two-sets-to-one down to win.
2021
Stefanos Tsitsipas stuns Nadal in the quarterfinals, becoming just the second man to defeat the Spaniard in a Grand Slam match from a two-sets-to-love deficit.
2022
Ash Barty becomes the first Australian player to win an AO singles title since Chris O’Neil 44 years earlier in 1978.
Even more special: Evonne Goolagong Cawley, her longtime mentor, presented the then 25-year-old with the trophy.
2023
Aryna Sabalenka and Elena Rybakina play captivating tennis of the highest quality in the women’s singles final, in which Sabalenka emerges triumphant to capture her maiden Grand Slam title.
2024
Eventual champion Jannik Sinner ends Djokovic’s 33-match winning streak at the AO with a stunning four-set victory over the 10-time champion in the semifinals.
THE STORY OF: When Sinner dethroned Djokovic at AO 2024
The Italian never faced a break point against the then world No.1, and went on to win his first major title with a five-set win over Daniil Medvedev.
2025
Madison Keys ended world No.1 Sabalenka's 20-match AO winning streak with a thrilling win in the final.
The 6-3 2-6 7-5 win – the first AO women's singles final to extend that deep into a third set since 1981 – delivered Keys her first Grand Slam singles final.
In the semifinals she saved a match point to stun world No.2 Iga Swiatek, making her the first woman in 16 years to beat the world's top two players en route to winning a major.