Hady Habib created history at the Australian Open on Sunday. He beat China's Bu Yunchaokete 7-6(4), 6-4, 7-6(6) in the first round to become the first man representing Lebanon to win a singles main draw match at a Grand Slam in the professional era.
The 26 year old raised his racquet at the crowd and held up a Lebanese flag after claiming the decisive tiebreak on Melbourne Park's Court 13.
His success has come at a tense time for Lebanon, with a November 26 ceasefire between Israel and Lebanese militant group Hezbollah holding after nearly 14 months of war.
Habib, who was born in Houston, Texas, moved back to Lebanon with his family at the age of six before returning to the US to develop his game as a junior.
He represented Lebanon at the Paris Olympics, where he lost to Carlos Alcaraz in the first round. He is Lebanon's first player to win an event on the second-tier ATP Challenger Tour in Chile last year.
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