There are several rising stars to watch out for at this year’s Australian Open, with many hotly-tipped players receiving wild cards or coming through qualifying.
While the likes of Mirra Andreeva, Victoria Mboko, and Joao Fonseca have a chance of a deep run, there are a number of stars who will be making their debuts at the first Grand Slam of the year.
Arthur Fery has already beaten Flavio Cobolli to begin his very first Australian Open main draw in sensational fashion.
Michael Zheng, meanwhile, has just defeated Sebastian Korda in his very first Tour-level match in Melbourne.
Michael Zheng shocks Sebastian Korda at the Australian Open
Zheng is a back-to-back NCAA Champion, but he couldn’t have expected a better start to his professional career after beating Korda in five sets at the Australian Open.
The 21-year-old took the first two sets off Korda and then fought off a potential comeback after the scores were levelled.
Zheng kept his nerve to win the decider by a single break of serve, taking the set 6-3 to confirm his first professional win.
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The American star came through qualifying at the tournament, defeating Cruz Hewitt, Tomás Barrios Vera, and Lukas Klein.
He will play Corentin Moutet in the second round, who defeated Australian Tristan Schoolkate in his first round match.
The winner of that match will likely play world number one Carlos Alcaraz in the third round, so Zheng’s start to professional life could continue with the biggest test in tennis.
Michael Zheng reacts to landmark win over Sebastian Korda
Zheng’s victory against Korda will likely put more pressure on the star, but he has already revealed his narrow focus for his first year on the professional circuit.
The American cut a confident figure in his Australian Open press conference after notching up the biggest win of his career.
The star said his NCAA career has massively helped his preparation for the biggest stages in the entire sport.
“I actually felt more nervous I think going into the finals of NCAAs than this match, surprisingly. But, yeah, I think it shows college tennis is a real pathway to the pros.
“There’s so many guys. I think Arthur Fery also won his first-round match today. There are so many guys that are starting to, you know, reach that next level, and I think college tennis is a real pathway. I think my win today proves that, as well.
Yeah, I mean, I think it prepared me really well for today and the nerves and the physicality and everything.”
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For Korda, meanwhile, this is his second consecutive first round exit at a Grand Slam. The American lost to Cameron Norrie in the first round of the 2025 US Open.
Korda has been as high as World No. 15, but he is currently languishing outside of the top 50 of the ATP Tour rankings.
