Hady Habib made history earlier this year by bringing Lebanon to the Olympic tennis competition for the very first time. Now, he wishes for another victory at the Australian Open in January to provide solace to his war-torn country.
The 26-year-old athlete had a memorable encounter last July, despite being a lucky loser, when he lost against Carlos Alcaraz with a performance record of 6-3, 6-1 in the first round of the Olympic men’s singles at Roland Garros.
Since then, he was inspired by the experience to return to the world’s greatest tennis stages, and he took a step in that direction when he won a Challenger championship in Chile to secure a place in the Australian Open qualifying round.
With this, Habib said: “I just felt so much joy… I’d had a couple of hard weeks before that. This was a goal of mine and to be able to achieve it in this last tournament and being the first Lebanese to win a Challenger, just so much joy.”
In an effort to maximize this well-earned opportunity, the world number 216 sacrificed the holiday season and has decided to train in South America with his Argentine coach instead of spending Christmas at home in Lebanon. He is very happy to represent his nation in these sporting events, especially now that the fighting in Gaza has spread to the southern region of the country.
“I’ve been able to bring something positive and show the resilience that I have… Everyone who’s living outside of Lebanon will tell you the same thing: it’s horrific to see what’s happening in a country that we all love so much,” he said.
Knowing that about 1% of Australians are of Lebanese descent, Habib will undoubtedly have some backing from the crowd in Melbourne in January.
He remarked: “I have family in Australia who will come to watch me… It’s going to be amazing.”
Source: CNA