Hady Habib makes a comeback against the Frenchman Ugo Humbert during the second round of the main draw of the Australian Open in Melbourne, on Jan. 15, 2025. (Credit: Martin Keep/AFP)
Hady Habib's impressive run at the Australian Open came to an end on Wednesday. The current world number 219 made history for Lebanese tennis by becoming the first player from Lebanon in the Open era to qualify for the main draw of a Grand Slam tournament and winning his first round. However, he faced a stronger opponent in Ugo Humbert.
Despite the loud support from Lebanese fans who once again filled the stands at Melbourne Park to cheer him on, Habib was defeated in three sets (6-3, 6-4, 6-4) by his French opponent.
After a nearly eight-hour delay due to weather conditions, Humbert, ranked 14th by ATP, was able to consistently break his opponent's serve from the start of each set, allowing him to comfortably manage his lead and contain the Lebanese player's comeback attempts.
"One of the best days of my career"
Appearing less energetic than in the previous round, the tall Lebanese player was playing his fifth match in less than ten days. He did not have the same serving efficiency as usual, having relied on this tool to win five consecutive tie-breaks in his last four matches.
Despite this defeat, Habib's Australian journey was already a clear success.
"It's undoubtedly one of the best days of my career, my greatest achievement," he said at a press conference following his victory (7-6, 6-4, 7-6) in the first round last Sunday against China's Bu Yunchaokete (67th).
Following his success, new Lebanese president Joseph Aoun congratulated Habib for his "historic victory." According to the president, quoted by the state-run National News Agency (NNA), the achievements of Lebanese athletes, especially the tennis player, "help raise Lebanon's name."
Earlier during the qualifying rounds, Habib successively defeated his three opponents, Taiwan's Chun Hsin Tseng (6-4, 7-6), American Patrick Kypson with the same score, and France's Clément Chidekh (6-4, 3-6, 7-6), after saving three match points, to advance to the main draw of the Australian major.
'My phone keeps ringing'
His opponent, who had defeated Italy's Matteo Gigante (7-6, 7-5, 6-4) in the previous round, will face his compatriot Arthur Fils in the third round, who defeated another French player, Quentin Halys (6-2, 4-6, 7-6, 7-5).
This first appearance of the Houston native on the Grand Slam stage already represents a significant breakthrough for Lebanese sports. It follows from his participation in the men's singles tennis competition at the Paris 2024 Summer Olympics on the clay courts of Roland-Garros, which was also a first for national tennis. He was also joined by his teammate in the Davis Cup national team, Benjamin Hassan. Habib then had the opportunity to compete against the current world number three, Carlos Alcaraz, in a packed Suzanne-Lenglen Court.
The significant support he received again this Wednesday at Melbourne Park, with the stands decked out in Lebanese flags, made his performance even more "memorable" than his participation in the Paris Games.
"Thank you to the Lebanese people for their support in recent weeks, whether in Melbourne or elsewhere in the world. It gave me so much energy to keep fighting," he acknowledged. "My phone keeps ringing."