Lebanon’s own Hady Habib continues to impress tennis fans with his second consecutive Grand Slam win Wednesday morning and his qualifying victory on Thursday during the Australian Open qualifying rounds, defeating Chun-Hsin Tseng and Clement Chidekh.
Competing in his first Grand Slam, the 26-year-old claimed victory over Taiwan’s Chun-Hsin Tseng in straight sets during the qualifying rounds, just two days after comfortably defeating American Patrick Kypson in the first round of qualifiers. This was quickly followed by another brilliant victory on Thursday against France’s Clement Chidekh in a tight game.
As the world number 216 continues his campaign in his first Grand Slam, he carries the weight of representing Lebanon on his shoulders, hoping to provide the war-torn country with a glimmer of inspiration after the tragedies the nation has experienced over the past year.
Habib remains gracious for his modest origins, understanding that it was these experiences that made him who he is today both as a person and an athlete.
“Playing tennis in a small country with limited resources, these challenges have made me the person I am today, and I wouldn’t change it for a thing.”
Habib’s rise to his first-ever Grand Slam tournament stems from humble beginnings. He began playing tennis at the age of nine in Lebanon before moving to the United States at age 12 to pursue a career in tennis more seriously and develop his craft by facing more skilled opponents.
He recalls playing the first few years of his career without a coach or structured training before reaching a ranking that required one to compete. From there, he graduated from Texas A&M University and won multiple ATP tournaments.
In 2024, at the Challenger Temuco, he became the first Lebanese player to win a Challenger trophy, as well as the first-ever tennis player to compete in the Olympics while representing Lebanon.
“I couldn’t have asked for a better moment,” Habib told Oz Arab Media when asked about facing world number one Carlos Alcaraz at the Paris Olympics.
Hady Habib has successfully advanced through the Australian Open qualifying rounds, securing a spot in the main draw of the men’s singles tournament. This achievement marks a significant milestone, as he becomes the first Lebanese male tennis player to reach the main draw of the Australian Open. In the first round, he is scheduled to face a yet-to-be-determined opponent. The main draw matches are set to commence on January 12, 2025. Habib’s participation is anticipated to inspire and bring pride to Lebanon, especially during challenging times for the country.
