Qualifier Michael Zheng stuns Korda in five-set Melbourne thriller
Michael Zheng won against Sebastian Korda 6-4, 6-4, 3-6, 6-7, 6-3 on Sunday night and will play Frenchman Corentin Moutet, the No 32 seed, in the next round
Michael Zheng, Australian Open 2026 | ©
Dar Yasin/AP/SIPA
The 2026 Australian Open witnessed its first major fairytale on Sunday night as American qualifier Michael Zheng defeated world No. 51 Sebastian Korda 6-4, 6-4, 3-6, 6-7(4), 6-3. Zheng, ranked No. 174 and playing in the first ATP main-draw match of his life, displayed the poise of a veteran to withstand a furious comeback from the former quarterfinalist.
After squandering a two-set lead, the young American broke Korda early in the fifth and served out the biggest win of his career after nearly four hours on court. The victory is particularly remarkable as Zheng is currently a senior at Columbia University, balancing a five-course spring semester in New York with his breakout run in Melbourne.
The “Columbia Lion” has long been touted as the next great college-to-pro success story. Before arriving in Australia, his resume was already historic: he is a two-time back-to-back NCAA Singles Champion (2024, 2025) – the first to achieve the feat since Steve Johnson in 2012. On the professional circuit, he surged from outside the Top 700 to the Top 200 in a single season (2025), fueled by a 15-match winning streak that yielded three consecutive ATP Challenger titles in Chicago, Columbus, and Tiburon.
Zheng’s path to the main draw was a testament to his grit, specifically his final-round escape where he survived by the thinnest of margins.
The Road Through Australian open Qualifying
QR1: def. Cruz Hewitt (AUS) 6-3, 6-3 — Silencing the local crowd against the son of legend Lleyton Hewitt.
QR2: def. Tomás Barrios Vera (CHI) 6-1, 3-6, 6-4 — Overcoming the experienced clay-court specialist in a physical three-setter.
QR3: def. Lukas Klein (SVK) 6-7(4), 6-3, 7-6(10) — The defining moment of his week, where he saved a match point at 9-10 in the final-set tiebreak with a clutch ace.
Zheng will now face the 32nd seed Corentin Moutet in the second round. Having never played a tour-level match before this week, the 21-year-old has already guaranteed himself a massive ranking boost and a spot in the history books as one of the most successful Ivy League players in modern tennis history.
