Hady Habib likely won’t have anything too daunting at the Australian Open as he became the first Lebanese player in the Open era to reach the draw of a Grand Slam men’s singles tournament.
He advanced through three rounds of qualifying at Melbourne Park, winning his third match in overtime 6-4, 3-6, 7-6 (8) over Clement Chidekh of France on Thursday to book his place in the main draw of the tournament starting on Sunday.
Habib continued his rapid rise to make his Olympic debut in Paris last year, beating silver medalist Carlos Alcaraz, a four-time major winner, in the first round. These were two sets that he will remember for a long time.
Late last year, he made history in Temuco, Chile, by becoming the first ATP Challenger Tour champion from Lebanon.
Habib, 26, was born in Houston, Texas, and moved to Lebanon as a young child, where he learned the game. He returned to the United States to continue his professional career and now feels like he represents the spirit of the Lebanese people.
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“I know it’s just a sport, but I feel like representing Lebanon and sacrificing everything I had to do to get here. It’s a bit like our nation’s struggle,” Habib told Australia’s SBS News this week.
His personal success came at a difficult moment in the war between Israel and the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah. After almost 14 months of war, a fragile ceasefire agreement was reached on November 27.
Hezbollah began firing rockets into Israel on October 8, 2023 – the day after Hamas carried out a deadly attack on Israel that started the ongoing war in Gaza. Subsequent Israeli air and ground attacks in Lebanon killed over 4,000 people, including hundreds of civilians. At the height of the war, over a million Lebanese were displaced.
“Every morning I woke up during this difficult time, contacted all my family members and friends to make sure they were okay,” Habib told SBS News. “It breaks my heart when I see what is happening to our country and people.
“It was a difficult time for me mentally, knowing there was nothing you could do to help, but I’m glad things are calming down now. Let’s hope we find peace.”
Habib’s first-round opponent at Melbourne Park will be determined once all qualifiers have been placed in the main draw.
