Lebanon’s Hady Habib made history on Sunday at the Australian Open, becoming the first player from his country to win a Grand Slam match. World number 219 Habib is the only Lebanese, male or female, to make it past the qualifiers and into the main draw in one of the four majors.
The 26-year-old continued his fairytale run with a 7-6 (7/4), 6-4, 7-6 (8/6) victory over China’s Bu Yunchaokete in front of a frenzied crowd on Court 13. he was draped in his flag Livanou as he signed autographs after the match.
“This is probably one of the best days of my career honestly,” Habib said. “It’s an incredible feeling to get this victory not only for me but also for Lebanon and Lebanese tennis. “As you could see there, the crowd was absolutely wild. It made it even more special to win in front of them.”
Born in America to a Lebanese father, Habib lived in Lebanon for a few years from the age of six and has represented the country since he was 15 when he first played in the Davis Cup.
Habib also proudly wore the colors of Lebanon at last year’s Paris Olympics where he lost in the first round to Carlos Alcaraz.
“There were definitely more people at the Alcaraz fight,” smiled Khabib. “I think there were more Lebanese today, so it felt a bit more special. “The support I have received these past few days has been incredible. My phone completely blew up.
“I actually have some family from Sydney that came out to watch. It was a special moment for me that all Lebanese are participating in the community,” he added. “Yeah, I felt the energy out there.”
His reward is a second round match against 14th French winner Ugo Humbert. “It’s a huge win, especially what we’ve been through as a country,” Habib said.
“I think we will bring something positive, especially as we are going through difficult times with obviously the war. We have had other issues in the past. It’s just nice to get this win for Lebanon and for the world. “This is the biggest achievement I’ve had in my entire career,” he added.
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