This was published 4 months ago
She retired hurt five days ago. But Australia’s Tomljanovic defied the odds to win on Monday
Updated ,first published
Australian Ajla Tomljanovic has defied the odds to win her opening match at the 2026 Australian Open, five days after she had to retire injured at the Adelaide International.
Tomljanovic defeated Ukrainian qualifier Yuliia Starodubtseva 4-6, 7-6 (7-3), 6-2 in 2 hours and 30 minutes.
It’s an extraordinary victory for the Australian, who had a question mark over whether she would even take to the court after she picked up a peck injury against fellow Australian Maya Joint in Adelaide.
“I just hit a serve in that third game against Maya. My pec, I got this sharp sensation. It just really scared me. I felt really bad,” Tomljanovic said.
“Then I hit a few slow ones after that, played two more points, it was still bothering me. It felt like if I kept going, I could do something really bad.”
But in the five days between that retirement and her match on Monday, Tomljanovic said was careful not to serve too much in practice so not to aggrivate anything.
“Luckily with my groundstrokes it didn’t bother me right away. I was a bit nervous about my serving [tonight],” she said.
“I probably wasn’t going for my usual pace today, but it was still fast enough to make it competitive. She wasn’t hurting me so much off the second serves or even first serves. Yeah, I mean, I felt good out there.
Tomljanovic joins fellow Australians Priscilla Hon, Storm Hunter and Talia Gibson in the second round, with another guaranteed in the all-Australian contest between Kimberly Birrell and Madison Inglis on Tuesday.
The last time Australia had at least five women through to the second round of the Australian Open was in 1992 when eight home talents progressed.
With Daria Kasatkina, Maya Joint and Taylah Preston all in action on Tuesday as well, Australia are well-placed to add at least one more to that number.
Hon helps opponent off in a wheelchair after first Australian Open victory in six years
Australian Priscilla Hon won her first Australian Open singles match in five years on Monday afternoon, but rather than celebrate victory, she instead opted to help her injured opponent off the court in a wheelchair.
In an extraordinary show of sportsmanship, Hon went across to the other side of the court to help Canadian Marina Stakusic while she was suffering with what appeared to be extreme cramps as Hon led 5-3 in the final set.
But with Hon on serve and Stakusic on the ground unable to move, the Australian was awarded the win by default after Stakusic had to retire from the match. The final score was 1-6, 6-4, 5-3 after two hours of play.
Instead of celebrating with her friends and family, Hon went over to aid Stakusic – as she had earlier in the match when her opponent was struggling – and stayed with her until medical staff brought out a wheelchair.
Even then, Hon never left her opponent’s side, and helped keep Stakusic’s leg elevated while they took her from the court to the sidelines.
“Obviously, I didn’t want to win like that, but I do feel very relieved that I’m through to the second round,” Hon said.
“I really hope she does feel better, that was quite a scene out there. I had quite a few people come up to me and be like, ‘wow, that was so dramatic’.”
Hon said she knew Stakusic from the tour, and that the two were friendly, but weren’t close.
Stakusic was the third retirement of the day at Melbourne Park, but Hon said the conditions weren’t too unbearable out on court.
“It was definitely warm out there, and I think as well with the nerves, the stress levels, it just all impacts it, and obviously, everyone’s really stressed with playing in a grand slam, so it doesn’t help in that way,” she said.
It was a disappointing end to the match for both players, who were going toe-to-toe in the decisive set before Stakusic started cramping.
However, Hon said she was relieved to get her first win at her home slam since 2020.
“I saw that on the stats in the warm-up and I was like, ‘why did I look up? That’s not what I want to be thinking about.’ But yeah, there’s something about obviously playing at home, you just want to do well.
“You have your family and you have all your friends there, and you just want to make them proud. I was very nervous going out there for that match today, so I do feel a big relief to get through that.”
Australian Jordan Thompson was also a winner on Monday, after he defeated Argentina’s Juan Manuel Cerundolo 6-7 (3-7), 7-5, 6-1, 6-1.
Meanwhile, Rinky Hijikata won his first round match against Adrian Mannarino 6-3, 6-3, 6-1.
However, Alesksandar Vukic wasn’t so lucky, with the Australian going down in straight sets to Thiago Agustin Tirante of Argentina along with Emerson Jones who also lost in straight sets to Canadian Victoria Mboko.
Storm’s opponent was ranked 327 places higher than her. She won anyway
When Australian Storm Hunter ruptured her Achilles in April 2024, she didn’t know if she’d ever be able to return to her home slam.
She was doubles world No.3, had won six singles matches in a row (including qualifying) in Melbourne earlier that year and was preparing to represent Australia at the Billie Jean King Cup when she suffered the potentially career-ending injury.
But on Monday afternoon, in front of a roaring crowd at Kia Arena, Hunter was an Australian Open winner again, defeating Spain’s Jessica Bouzas Maneiro 6-4, 6-4.
It was a win against the odds – Bouzas Maneiro is ranked 327 places higher than Hunter.
“It means everything to be winning singles matches here in Melbourne. I feel like I have had a very up-and-down career, a lot of injuries in my career from when I was 18,” Hunter said.
“When I made the third round in 2024 [at the Australian Open], I finally felt like that was my time. I was sitting at career-high ranking, really thought I was going to crack the top 100.
“Then obviously with my Achilles, that was the most heartbreaking thing I’ve ever gone through in my life, missing Olympics, missing the chance ... I really, truly didn’t think I’d be able to be moving how I’m moving in these matches here in Melbourne, and that’s why I felt so much joy because, you don’t know when you’re going to get the chance to play on these courts again in front of big crowds.”
Hunter was in commentary last year as she fought her way back from the Achilles injury. Now, she’s notched one of the biggest singles wins of her career.
But there was a point during her rehabilitation when she questioned whether she had the mettle and the talent to find the momentum she had in 2024, even though she felt like she had “unfinished business” on the court.
“I started playing doubles first when I came back from my Achilles and gave myself a few months on the doubles court. Less load, less moving than singles,” she said.
“A few months later started my singles. It was a bit of a shock to the system of how far behind I felt with my movement, with my power. Just felt like a completely different player to 2024. I had a lot of tears ... I really thought I was done.”
Now, almost two years since her injury, Hunter doesn’t even think about her Achilles on court, and she’s proven to herself that she can compete with the best in the sport.
“As long as my ranking keeps going up and I can get into singles events and play, my body feels good. I think for me, doubts are always going to come. I’m probably someone always my whole career never really believed in myself, to be honest. So I always kind of questioned am I good enough to be top 100. I have always had those doubts my whole career.
“It’s kind of nice to probably not have them at the moment and just play kind of freely. Like I said, just enjoy being out there, and it’s a really nice place to be in mentally.”
Hunter will play American Hailey Baptiste in round two.
Read more of our Australian Open coverage
Billie Eder is a sports reporter at The Sydney Morning Herald.Connect via X or email.