At the baseline, Hady Habib is representing a war-weary country that’s counting on his backhand for a shred of positivity.
His right hand grips his racquet, and his head focuses on the match, but his heart always beats for Lebanon.
“I know we’ve had some challenging times in the past, and we’re dealing with some right now, but people are strong, and we always find a way to come back,” Habib told SBS News.
The world number 216 has not competed in a Grand Slam tournament before, but he’s never been closer to achieving that goal than right now, as he prepares to compete for a place in the Australian Open main draw.
Habib earned himself guaranteed entry into the Open’s qualifying round next week after he blitzed through a prestigious ATP Challenger tournament in Chile.
“It was a historic moment for Lebanese tennis … and I just felt so much joy. I got a little emotional after I won,” he says.
In a country still picking up the pieces from two months of heavy Israeli bombardment and years of economic turmoil, Lebanon’s diaspora is scrambling to find inspiration in unlikely places.
Habib is proving to be a symbol of that in Melbourne as he battles to become the first Lebanese male to compete in one of tennis’ major tournaments.
‘Our nation has fought back’
The 26-year-old, who was born in Texas, moved to Lebanon when he was six and learned how to play tennis there. After falling in love with the sport, he later returned to the US to pursue it professionally.
“I know it’s just a sport, but I feel like representing Lebanon and sacrificing all the things I had to do to get here, it kind of resembles how our nation has fought back,” Habib says.
His Argentinian coach, Patricio Heras, said the win in Chile back in November was “very emotional”.
“It’s been honestly a rollercoaster … I think he pushed really hard,” Heras told SBS News.
Patricio Heras (pictured), himself a former player, has been coaching Habib in the lead-up to the Australian Open. Source: SBS News
Habib will be joined by Benjamin Hassan in next week’s draw — a German-born player who also represents Lebanon and made it to the qualifiers last year.
“It’s very exciting to also have another Lebanese player here. We’re going to be cheering for each other … people back home are going to be watching and rooting for us, and I think it’s great to motivate the younger generation in Lebanon,” Habib says.
‘My heart’s just shattered’
It was the 2024 Paris Olympics that first put Habib on the map. He was up against one of the best players in the world in the first round of the men’s singles draw: Spain’s Carlos Alcaraz. Despite putting up a good fight, he went down in straight sets.
“It was such an amazing experience playing the best in the world that week, I probably got more support than I have my entire life playing tennis,” he says.
Last year came with several challenges for Habib and his team, including the Israel-Hezbollah conflict which amplified in October, killing more than 3,800 people in Lebanon, according to Lebanese authorities at the time of the ceasefire agreement in late November.
More than one million people were displaced, and tens of thousands of homes have been destroyed.
“Every morning, I was waking up during that challenging time, I was contacting all my family members, my friends, making sure they’re okay,” Habib says.
“My heart’s just shattered to see what’s happening to our country and people.
“It was a hard time mentally for me, knowing that you can’t do anything to help, but I’m glad things are calming down now.
“Hopefully we’ll find some peace.”
