Maddison Inglis secured a rare second-round place at the Australian Open with a hard-earned victory. Ranked No. 168, she beat lifelong friend Kimberly Birrell in a gripping three-hour battle, winning 7-6(6), 6-7(9), 6-4, and after the match, the emotional weight of the moment spilled over.

“It’s really hard to play such a good friend,” Inglis said with tears in her eyes. “The last few days have been a bit stressful. It’s so tough. It was an amazing match with Kim, and yeah, I absolutely adore her. So it was really hard to see her on the other side. But I’m stoked I could play through those feelings and be in the second round. It means the world.”

They shared a long embrace at the net after an exhausting battle.

The opening set was tight from the start. Both players traded heavy groundstrokes and refused to give ground. Birrell, ranked almost 100 places higher at No. 76, matched Inglis shot-for-shot. With nothing separating them, the set moved to a tiebreak.

Birrell saved a set point at 5-6 in the breaker. But at 6-6, she double-faulted and handed Inglis an opening. Inglis stayed calm on her serve and won the next point to seal the set. The momentum immediately shifted in her favour.

Inglis carried that confidence into the second set. She reeled off four straight games with aggressive hitting and clean ball striking. Birrell, however, refused to fade and began to lift her level again.

Birrell clawed back in the next two games and then struck at a crucial moment. She broke Inglis when she served for the match at 5-3. The set returned to level terms and once again headed into a tiebreak.

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Birrell surged to a 5-2 lead and looked in control. During the rally, she slipped and grazed her right knuckles. The incident briefly halted her momentum, allowing Inglis to fight back.

Inglis saved two set points and forced the tiebreak to 7-7. As the tension rose, Birrell double-faulted again. This time, Inglis could not capitalise. Birrell saved two match points and unleashed powerful groundstrokes to force a deciding set.

The final set followed a familiar pattern. Games went with serve, and neither player blinked under pressure. At 4-4, Birrell’s serve faltered once more with a costly double fault.

That mistake handed Inglis two break points. She needed only one. Inglis converted and then held her nerve to serve out the match, sealing an emotional victory.

The win capped a remarkable run for the 28-year-old, who had already come through qualifying with three victories, including wins over two seeded players. 

Even last year, after beating fifth seed Sara Sorribes Tormo, Inglis said she had “channelled” Birrell.

“Last week was so inspiring, and if Kim can do it, why can’t we do it, and that gives us all that confidence to beat those top girls,” Inglis said. “I actually did try and channel a little bit of Kim out there today.”

The pair share a long history on tour. They often play doubles together, including at the 2022 Australian Open and the 2022 ATX Open. Birrell also beat Inglis in the 2022 Playford final. 

As Inglis moves on to face 37-year-old Laura Siegemund, today was yet another example of deep friendship and raw emotion, adding to the human side of the WTA Tour.

When Aryna Sabalenka was devastated after best friend Paula Badosa suffered an injury

Another close friendship on tour is famously known as “SabaDosa.” It reflects how close Aryna Sabalenka and Paula Badosa truly are. Their bond is well known across the tennis world. That emotional connection was clearly visible at the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix in 2024.

Badosa was forced to retire against Sabalenka with the score at 6-7(5), 6-4, 3-3. She was playing well and had a real chance of causing an upset. However, a thigh injury stopped her from continuing. The moment was heartbreaking for both players.

After the match, Sabalenka struggled to contain her emotions. She spoke openly about how much the situation hurt her.

“I’m actually about to cry right now, honestly,” Sabalenka said after the match. “I don’t know. Feel so bad for her. And I love this girl, even after the terrible interview with Ons [Jabeur], but I still love her, and I feel really, I just, I don’t know, I don’t have any emotions right now. I’m not happy. I’m not sad.”

Another powerful example of friendship came in 2020 with Serena Williams and Caroline Wozniacki. Their bond had grown over the years on tour. Both players were competing at the Australian Open that year.

They were expected to meet in the fourth round at Melbourne Park. Instead, both suffered shock third-round defeats. Williams lost to Wang Qiang. Wozniacki was beaten by Ons Jabeur.

That loss marked the end of Wozniacki’s professional career. Williams later revealed that the moment deeply affected her.

“She came into the locker room afterwards, we were both kind of bummed about our matches,” Williams said during her press conference. “She’s had an amazing career. Oh my God, I’m getting emotional. Oh my. God, I’m going to miss her. Guys, I can’t answer Caroline questions, I’m going to be crying. She’s one of my best friends in the world.”

Stories like these are not rare in tennis. From Daria Kasatkina and Mirra Andreeva to Veronika Kudermetova and her sister Polina, such relationships run deep. 

These moments show the human side of the sport. They remind fans that tennis is built on respect, empathy, and lasting bonds.