Alongside Jan Zielinski, Monaco’s Hugo Nys reached his first Grand Slam final in Australia on Saturday, but couldn’t overcome Jason Kubler and Rinky Hijikata, who won in straight sets. 

Despite the loss in the Australian Open final, Nys nonetheless made Monégasque sporting history by becoming the first Monaco player to reach a Grand Slam final.

After an impressive run to the final, Nys and his Polish partner Zielinski came unstuck against an Aussie duo, who had the home crowd behind them. Kubler and Hijikata only got one chance to break, but took it, allowing them to take the upper hand and win the first set.

There was little separating them on the hard court of Melbourne, but the Aussie pairing got the job done in the second set, winning on a tiebreak (6-4, 7-6).

Nys’ exploits Down Under have been reflected in the ATP rankings. Going into the tournament ranked 40th in the world in doubles, the Monaco player is now 22nd.

His focus will now turn to Monaco’s upcoming Davis Cup tie against the Dominican Republic, which takes place at the Monte-Carlo Country Club next weekend, with the country’s place in Group II on the line.

Photo by Monaco Life