It was a night of personal and professional disappointment for Australia's Alex de Minaur at Melbourne Park, as he watched his fiancée, British tennis star Katie Boulter, exit the Australian Open in the first round.
Bencic Dominates in Straight-Sets Victory
Boulter faced a formidable challenge against the tournament's tenth seed, Switzerland's Belinda Bencic. The match began in disastrous fashion for the Briton, with Bencic racing to win 11 of the first 13 points to establish a commanding 3-0 lead. Despite a brief pause between games, Boulter could not halt the Swiss star's momentum.
A stream of unforced errors from Boulter's racquet compounded her problems, allowing Bencic to wrap up the opening set 6-0 in just 28 minutes. De Minaur, a supportive presence in Boulter's player box, could only look on as his partner struggled to find her rhythm.
Fighting Spirit Fades in Second Set
Displaying renewed resilience, Boulter started the second set strongly, breaking Bencic's serve to win the first game and ignite hopes of a comeback. Her level improved dramatically, and she engaged the tenth seed in far more competitive rallies.
Although she fell behind a break midway through the set, Boulter immediately broke back to keep the contest alive. However, at the critical juncture of 5-5, two costly unforced errors gifted Bencic the break. The Swiss star confidently served out the match to secure a 6-0, 7-5 victory in under an hour and a half.
The defeat sees Boulter's WTA ranking fall to 113, a significant slide for a player who began the 2025 season as the 22nd seed at her home Grand Slam. The couple, who are expected to marry later this year, will now regroup after a difficult start to the tournament.
Other Key Results from Day One
Elsewhere in the women's draw, defending champion Madison Keys overcame a shaky start on Rod Laver Arena. The ninth-seeded American dropped the first four games against grand slam debutant Oleksandra Oliynykova before finding her form to win 7-6 (8-6), 6-1.
In a major upset, Indonesia's Janice Tjen defeated 22nd seed Leylah Fernandez of Canada 6-2, 7-6 (7-1). This historic win makes Tjen the first Indonesian player to win a match at the Australian Open in 28 years.
Other notable winners on Tuesday included:
- Fifth seed Elena Rybakina (Kazakhstan), who beat Slovenia's Kaja Juvan 6-4, 6-3.
- Former world number one Karolina Pliskova (Czechia), who ousted 2017 US Open champion Sloane Stephens 7-6 (9-7), 6-2.
- Former French Open champion Jelena Ostapenko (Latvia), who advanced with a 6-4, 6-4 win over Slovakia's Rebecca Sramkova.
The opening day of the 2025 Australian Open has already delivered drama, heartbreak, and historic moments, setting the stage for a thrilling fortnight of tennis.
