The Australian Open is right around the corner, as the best in men’s tennis prepare for the first Major tournament of the year.
Tennis is back, and the stars of the ATP Tour are raring to go as the Australian Open begins in just four days time.
Jannik Sinner won the Australian Open in 2024, as he took down Daniil Medvedev in the final after five sets of thrilling action.
Sinner had beaten Novak Djokovic in the semi-finals, as he booked his place in a Grand Slam final for the first time.
Carlos Alcaraz lost to Alexander Zverev in the quarter-finals, as the Spaniard once again struggled to match his rivals down under.
Plenty of stars will be hoping to come out on top at this year’s Australian Open, but one star who made a name for himself in Melbourne back in 2018, has finally got himself back in the winner’s circle.
Hyeon Chung wins first title in six years after nearly retiring from tennis through injury
Hyeon Chung reached the Australian Open semi-finals in 2018, before his career quickly unravelled through injury.
Formerly a top-20 player, the South Korean star missed several years of action, with many speculating that Chung had actually retired from tennis for good during 2021, and 2022.
He made his return to the Challenger and ITF Tours in 2023, however, and has slowly built back up fitness, confidence, and form, before finally winning a title to kickstart his 2025 season.
Playing in the M25 Bali, Indonesia, ITF event, Chung dropped just one set all tournament as he picked up his first title since 2019.
The result has seen Chung return to the world’s top 1000, as he currently sits at 726th in the live ATP rankings.
Where the 28-year-old will play next is yet to be confirmed, but if he can continue the form he showed in Bali, it may not be too long before we see him re-join the main ATP Tour.
How did Hyeon Chung reach the Australian Open semi-finals in 2018?
Chung won the inaugural Next Gen ATP Finals tournament in 2017 and entered the following year’s Australian Open as one of the most talked about prospects in men’s tennis.
He delivered in a big way, producing several world class performances on his way to the last four in Melbourne.
Chung won his opening match against Mischa Zverev, before scoring three consecutive wins against some of the biggest names on the ATP Tour today.
- 2R – Beat Daniil Medvedev 7-6, 6-1, 6-1
- 3R – Beat Alexander Zverev 5-7, 7-6, 2-6, 6-3, 6-0
- 4R – Beat Novak Djokovic 7-6, 7-5, 7-6
Arguably the biggest win of his career came in the fourth round, when he took down the now ten-time Australian Open champion, Djokovic in straight sets.
Chung looked mightily impressive, as he battled past the Serbian star, announcing himself on the world’s biggest stage.
The South Korean star wasn’t done there, however, as he breezed past Tennys Sandgren in the quarter-finals to become the first player from his nation to reach the last four of a Grand Slam.
A meeting with the legendary Roger Federer awaited Chung in the semi-finals, a test that proved just a little too much for the youngster.
Chung retired from the match down a set, as he struggled with blisters on his foot.
It was the end of Chung’s Australian Open journey, where he had broken through into tennis stardom, by beating several of the world’s best players.
He hasn’t returned to a Grand Slam semi-final since and hasn’t appeared in the main draw of a Major for over five years, as his injury struggles persisted.
Perhaps with a first title in six years under his belt, Chung can finally rediscover the form he once showed which saw him beat Djokovic in Australia.
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