Nearing midnight, and after a nearly four-hour long match, Australia’s Alex De Minaur tumbled out of the Australian Open at the hands of Russian world number five, Andrey Rublev.
The loss brings to an end Australia’s hopes for a home-grown singles champion from the 2024 competition.
A Ratings Win For Nine:
The loss may have been a devastating blow to the world number ten and the hopes of a nation, but his campaign was a massive win for the Nine Network. 1.152 million tuned in to watch the five-set match, topping the ratings for the night.
The Australian Open is always a huge winner for the Nine Network and this year has been no exception. However, with six days left in the competition and no Aussies left in contention for a singles title, the question now falls to whether the network can maintain its ratings dominance until the Jan 28th final.
When approached for comment prior to the commencement of the Open, Nine made it very clear that they do not speculate about ratings, but they are excited about some of the incredible talent heading into the Open this year. So, with the likes of Djokovic and Sabalenka still smashing their way toward the finals, it is safe to say that hopes are relatively high for a dominant end to the ratings run.
A Heart-breaking Moment:
De Minaur was visibly shaken by the loss, leaving the court quickly after the match concluded. In a press conference later in the night, he confessed to being “absolutely devastated” with the result. “I saw it as a great opportunity … in a match, I believe I ultimately could have won, but it just slipped away,” he said.
While the nation was heartbroken alongside De Minaur, one private moment seemed to capture our hearts more than anything on the court. Shortly after retreating from the court, Nine’s broadcast turned to the player gym, where a heartbroken De Minaur could be seen warming down on the bike. Just before midnight, his long-term girlfriend and fellow professional tennis player, Katie Boutler, entered the gym and embraced her boyfriend in a long hug, seemingly unaware the cameras were pointed at her. When she finally let go, De Minaur pulled his towel over his head and continued pedalling.
The Who’s Who Of Australian Celebrity:
While speculation was already high going into the match that this could be the world number 10’s last match of the competition, it didn’t stop Australian celebrities from making their way to Rod Laver Arena to support the star. Magda Szubanski was among the superstars who graced the stands last night. The actor best known for her role as Sharon Strzelecki in the iconic Australian comedy Kath and Kim was spotted cheering him on.
Internationally recognisable comedy superstar Rebel Wilson was also spotted in the crowd, throwing her hands up to celebrate a successful point for Australia.
“Go Alex! C’mon!” she wrote in a story post on Instagram.
All the action of the Australian Open continues today on the Nine Network with the hopes of a homegrown victory remaining alive through a number of Australian doubles partnering’s taking the court from 11am onwards.
