A 19-year-old Czech dark horse shocks the Australian Open! Bencic becomes the first top-10 seed to be eliminated

On January 22, the fifth day of the 2026 Australian Open, the tournament wrapped up all second-round contests. On this very day,The scorching summer at Melbourne Park witnessed a stunning upset—in the women’s singles second round, Czech rising star Bartonkova, ranked only 126th in the world, defeated the tournament’s 10th seed and Swiss star Bencic 6-3, 0-6, 6-4. Making her Grand Slam main draw debut, she advanced to the round of 32, becoming the biggest surprise of this Australian Open so far.

The 19-year-old Bartonkova’s performance at this Australian Open has been nothing short of miraculous. Starting from the qualifiers, she won three consecutive matches to qualify, then in the first round of the main draw battled through three sets to eliminate the strong Casakina, before facing the biggest challenge of her career so far—the world No. 10 Bencic, riding a 12-match winning streak across seasons.

“I can hardly believe this is real,” Bartonkova said emotionally after the match. “I just wanted to play my own tennis and enjoy the game.”

The match was full of twists and turns, showcasing the drama of tennis. In the first set, Bartonkova displayed fearless determination, breaking serve in the fourth game and taking the set 6-3. Facing such a tough start, the experienced Bencic showed top-level adaptability, dominating the second set 6-0 to level the match.

The deciding set turned into a battle of breaks, with both players breaking serve three times each in the first eight games, tied at 4-4. At a critical moment, Bartonkova secured another crucial break in the ninth game, then closed out the match with four straight points on her serve at match point, winning 6-4 after 2 hours and 12 minutes of play.

This victory holds great significance for Bartonkova: it was her first career win over a top-10 player, her debut Grand Slam main draw run reached the round of 32, and it ended Bencic’s 12-match winning streak spanning seasons. Bencic thus became the first top-10 women’s seed to be knocked out of this Australian Open.

Reaching the round of 32 awarded Bartonkova 170 ranking points and prize money of 327,750 Australian dollars. Her world ranking jumped significantly from 126th before the tournament to around 107th, marking a major breakthrough in her career.

Bartonková’s triumph has reignited attention on the “Czech phenomenon” in tennis. This Central European nation appears to have a continuous supply of tennis talent, creating a vibrant scene where veterans remain competitive while new stars emerge.

“It’s no surprise to see another young Czech player shine on the Grand Slam stage,” said a seasoned tennis commentator. “Their development system and competitive environment are truly outstanding.”

Bartonková’s playing style, especially her bold aggression and creative scoring on crucial points, draws comparisons to her compatriot and former French Open finalist Muchova. This willingness to take risks at critical moments seems to be a hallmark of Czech tennis players.

After advancing to the round of 32, Bartonkova will face the 21st seed Mertens in the third round. Regardless of how far she goes, this 19-year-old has already made her mark on this Australian Open.

“I still need time to process everything,” Bartonkova admitted after the match. “But right now, I just want to focus on the next match and continue enjoying my first Grand Slam journey.”

As the tournament progresses, whether Bartonkova can continue her dark horse run and set new personal bests will be a major storyline in the women’s singles event. Her performance once again proves that Grand Slam courts always hold the possibility for brave players to create miracles.(Source: Tennis Home, Author: Mei)