Maddison Inglis departed Melbourne Park with mixed emotions after her remarkable Australian Open journey concluded in the fourth round. The Australian qualifier, who captured the nation's attention, fell to world number two Iga Swiatek in a straight-sets defeat, but leaves with significant prize money and renewed ambition.
A Valiant Effort Against Elite Opposition
Facing Swiatek represented only the second time Inglis had competed against a top-ten ranked player in her career. The first set proved challenging, ending 6-0, but the 28-year-old demonstrated remarkable resilience in the second. Breaking Swiatek's serve early, Inglis celebrated with an exuberant baseline jump, showcasing both her fighting spirit and enjoyment of the occasion.
"I could go the other way and just mope around like I lost the first 6-0, but I just wanted to enjoy it and try and keep the spirits up," Inglis revealed post-match. "I was just like 'keep fighting, I'll get there, and if I don't, it's not the end of the world.'"
Australian Representation Ends in Women's Draw
Inglis's exit marks the conclusion of Australian participation in the women's singles competition at this year's tournament. Her achievement of reaching the round of sixteen represents the deepest run by any Australian woman, placing her alongside emerging talents like Maya Joint and established players such as Ajla Tomljanović as leaders on the WTA Tour for the nation.
The men's singles now carries Australia's remaining hopes through Alex de Minaur, who faces top seed Carlos Alcaraz in what promises to be a compelling encounter.
Financial Windfall and Future Plans
The $480,000 prize money represents approximately one-fifth of Inglis's career earnings to date, a sum she described as "a lot of money." Her immediate plans include sensible investment back into her tennis career, with intentions to fund additional support staff during tournaments to ease the demands of the professional circuit.
"I'll definitely use a lot of it to invest back into my tennis and have some people on the road with me to support me and make some weeks a bit easier," she explained. "It's a long year."
Modest Rewards After Major Achievement
Despite the substantial financial gain, Inglis maintains a grounded perspective regarding personal rewards. While her wishlist includes a Mini Cooper and KitchenAid appliances, she believes she hasn't yet earned such significant purchases.
Instead, the Gold Coast resident plans to treat herself to more modest domestic upgrades: "I've wanted a Smeg toaster for so long [and] I just was, like 'no you can't do that.' That's going to be my treat. And maybe the kettle, too."
Ranking Ambitions and Tournament Reflection
Inglis's profile lists grand slam victory and top-ten ranking as ultimate objectives, but her immediate focus rests on breaking into the world's top 100. Current projections suggest she'll move within striking distance when new rankings are released, though she acknowledges the challenge ahead.
"That jump from 113 to 100 is still a long way," she noted pragmatically.
Reflecting on her unexpected tournament success, Inglis admitted: "Honestly, going into this tournament, I didn't think that I had that in me. I had a chat to someone close to me the first day, and I was, like, 'I don't know how I'm going to get out on court, I just feel exhausted', and it's the first tournament of the year."
Looking Forward to Continued Progress
Inglis now turns her attention to supporting fiancé Jason Kubler in the men's doubles quarter-finals before preparing for an ITF tournament in Brisbane next month. Her Australian Open performance, which included navigating qualifying rounds and main draw victories, has provided both confidence and clarity about her development trajectory.
Despite the comprehensive nature of Swiatek's victory - the Polish star is pursuing her seventh grand slam title - Inglis leaves Melbourne with pride intact and tangible goals for the season ahead. Her journey has demonstrated that Australian women's tennis possesses emerging talent capable of making significant impacts on the sport's biggest stages.
