1998 Australian Open
The 1998 Australian Open was a professional tennis tournament that served as the first Grand Slam event of the year, held from 19 January to 1 February 1998 on outdoor hard courts at Melbourne Park in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.[1][2] Organized by Tennis Australia, it featured 128-player draws in singles and doubles across men's and women's categories, with a total prize money purse of approximately A$4.74 million.[3] In the men's singles, sixth-seeded Petr Korda of the Czech Republic claimed his only Grand Slam title by defeating second-seeded Marcelo Ríos of Chile 6–2, 6–2, 6–2 in the final, marking a dominant straight-sets victory; Korda later tested positive for nandrolone at the 1998 Wimbledon Championships, resulting in a one-year ATP suspension.[2][4] Korda's path included wins over notable opponents like Karol Kučera in the semifinals, and his triumph elevated him to a career-high world No. 2 ranking shortly after the event.[5] On the women's side, top-seeded Martina Hingis of Switzerland successfully defended her title from the previous year, overcoming ninth-seeded Conchita Martínez of Spain 6–3, 6–3 in the final to secure her second consecutive Australian Open singles crown.[6] The doubles competitions highlighted strong partnerships, with Jonas Björkman of Sweden and Jacco Eltingh of the Netherlands winning the men's doubles title after a five-set battle against defending champions Todd Woodbridge and Mark Woodforde of Australia, 6–2, 5–7, 2–6, 6–4, 6–3.[7] In women's doubles, Hingis partnered with 15-year-old Mirjana Lučić of Croatia to defeat Lindsay Davenport of the United States and Natasha Zvereva of Belarus 6–4, 2–6, 6–3, earning Hingis her second Grand Slam title of the tournament.[8] The mixed doubles event was captured by American pair Justin Gimelstob and Venus Williams, who beat Cyril Suk of the Czech Republic and Helena Suková 6–2, 6–1 in the final, marking Williams' first Grand Slam mixed doubles victory.[9] Among the notable moments, the tournament featured the first professional matchup between sisters Venus and Serena Williams in the women's singles second round, with Venus prevailing 7–6(4), 6–1; this sibling rivalry would become a defining storyline in women's tennis.[10] The event also underscored the transition in the sport, with emerging talents like Lučić and the Williams sisters gaining prominence alongside established stars such as Hingis and Korda.[11]Tournament Overview
Event Details
The 1998 Australian Open marked the 86th edition of this Grand Slam tennis tournament, held from 19 January to 1 February 1998 at Melbourne Park in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.[12][1] The event took place on outdoor hard courts surfaced with Rebound Ace, a synthetic material designed for consistent play and medium-paced bounce.[1] The tournament structure followed standard Grand Slam format, with main draw singles competitions featuring 128 players each for men and women, and doubles events accommodating 64 teams per category.[13] This edition also highlighted the practical application of Melbourne Park's infrastructure, including the retractable roof on Centre Court (now Rod Laver Arena), which was closed during thunderstorms to prevent rain delays and enable uninterrupted play on the primary show courts.[14] Financially, the total prize money purse reached A$4,740,500, with separate commitments of approximately US$3.14 million for the men's events under ATP sanctioning and US$3.22 million for the women's under WTA sanctioning, combining for around US$6.36 million. Prize money for men's and women's events differed, with full gender parity achieved in 2001.[3][1][13][15] Victory in the singles titles awarded 1000 ranking points to the champions, the maximum available at a Grand Slam on both the ATP and WTA scales during that era.[16]Champions and Prize Money
The 1998 Australian Open featured notable champions across all categories, with Petr Korda claiming the men's singles title in a dominant straight-sets victory. Martina Hingis defended her women's singles crown, while doubles events saw strong performances from established pairs. Junior categories highlighted emerging talents, including a French sweep in boys' doubles.[2][6][7]| Category | Champions | Runners-up | Final Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| Men's Singles | Petr Korda (CZE) | Marcelo Ríos (CHI) | 6–2, 6–2, 6–2 |
| Women's Singles | Martina Hingis (SUI) | Conchita Martínez (ESP) | 6–3, 6–3 |
| Men's Doubles | Jonas Björkman (SWE) / Jacco Eltingh (NED) | Todd Woodbridge (AUS) / Mark Woodforde (AUS) | 6–2, 5–7, 2–6, 6–4, 6–3 |
| Women's Doubles | Martina Hingis (SUI) / Mirjana Lučić (CRO) | Lindsay Davenport (USA) / Natasha Zvereva (BLR) | 6–4, 2–6, 6–3 |
| Mixed Doubles | Venus Williams (USA) / Justin Gimelstob (USA) | Helena Suková (CZE) / Cyril Suk (CZE) | 6–2, 6–1 |
| Boys' Singles | Julien Jeanpierre (FRA) | Andreas Vinciguerra (SWE) | 4–6, 6–4, 6–3 |
| Girls' Singles | Jelena Kostanić (CRO) | Wynne Prakusya (INA) | 6–0, 7–5 |
| Boys' Doubles | Jérôme Haehnel (FRA) / Julien Jeanpierre (FRA) | Mirko Pehar (CRO) / Lovro Zovko (CRO) | 6–3, 6–3 |
| Girls' Doubles | Evie Dominikovic (AUS) / Alicia Molik (AUS) | Leanne Baker (NZL) / Rewa Hudson (NZL) | 6–3, 3–6, 6–2 |
Seniors
Men's Singles
The men's singles competition at the 1998 Australian Open was marked by several upsets among the top seeds and culminated in an unexpected victory for sixth seed Petr Korda, who was ranked No. 13 entering the tournament. The draw featured 16 seeds, as follows:| Seed | Player | Nationality |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pete Sampras | United States |
| 2 | Patrick Rafter | Australia |
| 3 | Michael Chang | United States |
| 4 | Jonas Björkman | Sweden |
| 5 | Greg Rusedski | Great Britain |
| 6 | Petr Korda | Czech Republic |
| 7 | Carlos Moyá | Spain |
| 8 | Thomas Muster | Austria |
| 9 | Marcelo Ríos | Chile |
| 10 | Sergi Bruguera | Spain |
| 11 | Àlex Corretja | Spain |
| 12 | Gustavo Kuerten | Brazil |
| 13 | Goran Ivanisevic | Croatia |
| 14 | Yevgeny Kafelnikov | Russia |
| 15 | Mark Philippoussis | Australia |
| 16 | Albert Costa | Spain |