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The season's first Grand Slam, the Australian Open, has come to an end. There were plenty of exciting moments that kept people on the edge of their seats. The tournament concluded with the coronation of Aryna Sabalenka and Jannik Sinner as the champions in singles.
While two of the sport's most prominent names claimed the silverware for themselves, some players announced their arrival on the big stage in style. The tournament was marked by plenty of upsets as previously unheralded players lorded over the established ones.
These players, who flew under the radar before the start of the tournament, have left a mark with their results Down Under. With that in mind, below is a look at five players who surpassed expectations at this year's Australian Open:
#5 - Linda Noskova
Noskova made her breakthrough last year as she reached a couple of finals and scored three wins over top 10 players. She continued her ascent with a string of good results in Australia this year.
Noskova first reached the semifinals of the Brisbane International and followed it up with a dream run at the Australian Open. Competing in Melbourne for the first time, she defeated 31st seed Marie Bouzkova and wildcard entrant McCartney Kessler to reach the third round of a Major for the first time.
Noskova then faced World No. 1 Iga Swiatek and scored a 3-6, 6-3, 6-4 comeback win over her. Elina Svitolina's mid-match retirement put the teenager into the quarterfinals, where she was beaten 6-3, 6-4 by Dayana Yastremska. Nevertheless, it was a tournament to remember for the Czech youngster.
#4 - Nuno Borges
Borges cracked the top 100 of the ATP rankings just last year, and had made it past the first round of a Major just twice in his previous seven attempts. A second round appearance at the 2023 French Open and the 2022 US Open were his best results.
As such, Borges wasn't on anyone's radar prior to this year's Australian Open. But he made quite the noise in Melbourne as he made it to the fourth round. His win over Constant Lestienne in his opener didn't raise any eyebrows, but getting the better of 23rd seed Alejandro Davidovich Fokina after that certainly did.
Borges then scored the biggest win of his career by defeating World No. 13 Grigor Dimitrov 6-7 (3), 6-4, 6-2, 7-6 (6) in the third round. Daniil Medvedev put an end to his campaign in the next round, but this was a memorable tournament for him in the end.
#3 - Dayana Yastremska
Hailed as a bright prospect during her teenage years, Yastremska's career went off the rails for many reasons. Ranked as high as No. 21 a few years ago, she was relegated to compete in the qualifying rounds of the 2024 Australian Open.
Yastremska made it through the qualifiers and then stunned reigning Wimbledon champion Marketa Vondrousova in the first round with a decisive 6-1, 6-2 win. She next scored wins over Varvara Gracheva and Emma Navarro to reach the fourth round.
Yastremska downed former World No. 1 Victoria Azarenka in straight sets to advance to her maiden Major quarterfinal. She dispatched Noskova after that to reach her very first Grand Slam semifinal, where she was bested by Zheng Qinwen. She's now back into the top 30 thanks to her semifinal run Down Under.
#2 - Arthur Cazaux
Recurring injury issues had derailed 21-year old Cazaux's career so far. He received a wildcard to compete at this year's Australian Open and made the most of his chance.
Cazaux survived a five set tussle against Laslo Djere in the first round to score his maiden victory at the Majors. He knocked out eighth seed Holger Rune and 28th seed Tallon Griekspoor in the next two rounds.
Cazauz put up a fight, but Hubert Hurkacz got the upper hand in their fourth round encounter for a 7-6 (6), 7-6 (3), 6-4 win over the Frenchman. One can only hope he stays healthy enough to build upon this result.
#1 - Zheng Qinwen
Zheng's the most well-known name on this list as she had firmly established herself in the top 20 last year. She also made it to the quarterfinals of the 2023 US Open, but no one expected her to leapfrog her contemporaries at a rapid pace.
While top players kept crashing, Zheng remained focused as she cleaved her way through the draw to reach her maiden Grand Slam final. She faced defending champion Sabalenka for the title, but the latter proved to be too good for her and won the match 6-3, 6-2.
But this clearly marks the beginning of Zheng's ascension to the top of the women's game. She has now made her top 10 debut and it's only a matter of time before she emulates her idol Li Na by securing some Major titles.
