Australian Open culminated on a successful note with Novak Djokovic winning his 10th grand slam title in Melbourne. After this phenomenal victory, he is back to world number one in the recent rankings. On the other hand, Aryna Sabalenka is now world number two after winning the women’s singles title in the tournament.
Today, let us take a look at the five biggest upsets in the Australian Open 2023:
#5 Roberto Bautista Agut vs Andy Murray
Widely regarded as one of the best players to have ever played the game, Andy Murray lost his battle against Roberto Bautista Agut in the third round of the tournament. He got defeated 1-6, 7-6, 3-6 and 4-6 to make an early exit from the tournament.
Though he has not been in the best of form, a player like Murray is always expected to enter his name in the ‘last eight’ stage of a grand slam tournament. The 35-year-old produced some of the best performances as he spent a staggering total of 14 hours in his three games. Now, he has taken his name back from the next tournament and will take some more time off before returning to the court.
#4 Sebastian Korda vs Daniil Medvedev
2012 US Open champion Daniil Medvedev lost in the third round to Sebastian Korda in three straight sets. The world number eight Medvedev lost in 2 hours 59 minutes against Sebastian Korda. Medvedev reached the finals of the Australian Open 2022 where he was defeated by Rafael Nadal in a five-set thriller.
Korda took an early lead in the match and immediately put Medvedev under pressure. Korda’s victory in the first set was possible because of some incredible ground strokes. In the next set, the American made 13 unforced errors but made up at the right time. This is undoubtedly the biggest win of his career.
#3 Michael Mmoh vs Alexander Zverev
Alexander Zverev’s defeat was another shocker in the Australian Open 2023. Michael Mmoh of the United States got the better of the German Giant 6-7, 6-4, 6-3, 6-2 in the second round. After winning the first set, it looked like Zverev would easily go through but he was outclassed in the next three sets to make an early exit just like Rafa.
Zverev was continuously ranked in the top 10 for over five years (July 2017 to November 2022) which is why his defeat has put every tennis fan in shock. Though he is yet to win a Grand Slam in his career, his finest performance came in the 2020 US Open where he reached the finals. The German tennis player lost the iconic game against Dominic Thiem.
#2 Jenson Brooksby vs Casper Ruud
Current world number four Casper Ruud made an exit in the second round after being defeated by Jensen Brooksby 3-6, 5-7, 7-6, and 2-6. He took a medical timeout after the second set and went down thereafter.
Ruud saved three match points at 3-5 which frustrated Brooksby as he slammed his racquet on the ground. But, the last set was a mere formality for the American as he took the game 5-2 to end Ruud’s journey in the campaign.
#1 Rafael Nadal vs Mackenzie McDonald
This is probably one of the biggest upsets of not only the Australian Open 2023 but in the history of the Australian Open. Widely regarded as one of the top players in the world to ever play on a tennis court, Rafael Nadal shocked the whole world when he got defeated by Mackenzie McDonald in the second round of the tournament. The tennis icon was struggling with a hip issue in the match which he was already facing over the last couple of days.
Nadal lost the battle 4-6, 4-6, and 5-7 which was a shocker for his fans. His straight-sets loss has raised concerns over his future in the game. The legendary player is now 36 years old and the call on his career can be taken anytime. Nadal has been struggling with injuries over the last six months and it would be interesting to see what will be his next step.