Teenage Prodigy

Teenage qualifier Bartůňková stuns Bencic at Australian Open

January 23, 2026 Reported by AI Image generated by AI

In a major upset at the Australian Open, 19-year-old qualifier Nikola Bartůňková defeated tenth seed Belinda Bencic 6-3, 0-6, 6-4 in the second round. The world No. 126, making her Grand Slam main draw debut, ended Bencic's 12-match winning streak with a display inspired by Roger Federer and Carlos Alcaraz. Bartůňková's victory marks her as one of five teenagers reaching the third round.