Already at the Australian Open, we have seen some huge upsets in the very first round.
After all, seeds like Flavio Cobolli and Emma Navarro were quick to exit the competition, with stars like Venus Williams and Seb Korda also suffering early defeats too.
And now, whilst this particular player was not seeded, she was a two-time Grand Slam champion, having won her latest major title as recently as 2024.
Sadly for Barbora Krejčíková, injuries have not been kind to her ever since, and there were tears once again today as she staggered out of the Australian Open, once again laden with injuries.
Barbora Krejčíková suffers Australian Open first-round exit
Facing Diana Shnaider, this did mark a horrific first-round draw for the 21-year-old.
After all, it pitted the injury-strewn and ageing star against the hard-hitting Russian, who took full advantage of her hampered opponent.
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To her credit, Krejčíková actually took the first set, but as her physical ailments began to flare up once again, she was visibly upset as the match slipped away from her.
This is not the first time we have seen the former world number two in tears on court due to injury, and it’d be a surprise if this was the last. It’s such a shame to see a player of this quality routinely hampered by her own body.
Last year it was her back that let her down, before a knee injury curtailed the end of 2025. It was that latter injury which continued to plague the 30-year-old today.
Krejčíková reached the quarter-finals of the US Open just last year. It’s sad to see how swiftly things have taken a turn for the worse.
What other top players have lost in the Australian Open first round?
As touched upon earlier, Krejčíková is far from the only top player to have suffered a first-round exit at this year’s Australian Open.
Korda, Williams, Cobolli and Navarro were also victims of such early pressure.
What has been the biggest upset at the Australian Open so far?
However, we have also seen Felix Auger-Aliassime retire from his match, as well as Sofia Kenin, another former Grand Slam champion, lose as well.
As we continue to tackle the rest of the first round matches, it’s to be expected that we will see many more upsets as the Australian Open draw starts to take shape.
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