Unseeded Aussie Maddison Inglis Shocks at Australian Open

Maddison Inglis saved two match points just to qualify for the Australian Open. Now the 28-year-old Australian is one of only two unseeded players left in the tournament.

The world number 168 has spent years grinding away on tennis tours below the elite level, struggling to make enough prize money to sustain her career. Tennis Australia didn't even give her a wildcard entry into the main draw.

After fighting through qualifying, Inglis called simply making the main draw a "dream come true." But she kept winning, taking four of her five matches to three sets and battling through six tiebreaks along the way.

Her third-round opponent, Japanese star Naomi Osaka, withdrew injured just two hours before their match. The walkover pushed Inglis into the round of 16 and guaranteed her A$480,000 (£243,000) in prize money.

"She's been grinding away on the circuit for years and years," former Wimbledon champion Pat Cash told BBC Radio. "For somebody who struggles around making a thousand bucks here and a thousand bucks there, it's life-changing for her."

Qualifier Inglis Reaches Australian Open Round 16

Inglis hasn't been taking it easy despite the walkover. She's been playing singles, doubles, and mixed doubles with her fiance Jason Kubler, spending over 16 hours on court in the past 12 days.

After beating Germany's Laura Siegemund in a three-hour second-round marathon, Inglis collapsed to the court in tears. Her family and Kubler were there watching at her favorite tournament.

Why This Inspires

Inglis's story reminds us that persistence pays off in ways we can't predict. She kept showing up, kept competing, and kept believing even when the results weren't coming.

Her next opponent, second seed Iga Swiatek, has played just five hours of tennis so far while Inglis has logged triple that time. But Inglis says when you want something badly enough, the body finds a way.

Win or lose on Monday night at Rod Laver Arena, Inglis has already achieved something remarkable: proving that years of hard work can turn into magic when opportunity finally knocks.