Roy Emerson won six Australian men’s singles titles during the Amateur Era. He captured the championship in 1961 and then ruled the event with five consecutive victories from 1963 through 1967.
Emerson’s first Australian title came when he defeated fellow Australian Rod Laver in the 1961 final. He reclaimed the crown in 1963 and successfully defended it every year through 1967. The run made him the tournament’s dominant men’s singles champion before professional players were admitted to major events in the Open Era, which began in 1968.
The number six can cause confusion because Emerson’s record was eventually surpassed in the modern era. Novak Djokovic later won more Australian Open men’s singles titles, but that does not change Emerson’s Amateur Era total. Emerson also won major titles elsewhere, finishing his singles career with 12 Grand Slam championships, including two French, two Wimbledon and two US titles.