By Chris Oddo | @TheFanChild | Saturday January 11, 2025
“The crowd was absolutely wild, and it made it even more special to win in front of them,” said Hady Habib, who had just won his first match at a major by defeating China’s Bu Yunchaokete 7-6, 6-4, 7-6.
The former Texas A&M Aggie, who lived from ages six through 12 in Lebanon and learned the sport from his Lebanese father, did not take for granted what his triumph meant for the nation as a whole.
“It’s a huge win, especially what we’ve been going through as a country. I think to bring something positive, especially we’ve been having a rough time with obviously the war. We had our other issues in the past,” he said. “Yeah, it’s just nice to get this win for Lebanon and for the people.”
Habib was born in Houston, but has represented Lebanon since he was 15.
“My father is Lebanese,” he said. “From the age of 6 until 12 I lived there and went to school there. I started to play tennis in Lebanon. I still have a lot of friends back there. My parents currently live there.
“Yeah, I’ve been representing Lebanon since I was 15 years old when I played my first Davis Cup match. Yeah, that’s the story.”
The victory, which earns him $132,000, will help him further his own professional aspirations. Ranked 219 at the start of the Australian Open, 26-year-old Habib is up to 163 in the live rankings. He hopes he can use Sunday’s win as a spark, and he wishes the same for his country.
Habib won his maiden challenger title in Temucu, Chile in December of 2024, then became the first player from his country to qualify for a Grand Slam main draw last week.
On Sunday he outdid himself yet again – Habib will face Ugo Humbert in the second round.
“This is the biggest achievement I’ve had in my entire career,” he said.
