Jul 27, 2025; Toronto, ON, Canada; Sebastian Ofner (AUT) hits a ball to Reilly Opelka (not pictured) in first round play at Sobeys Stadium. Mandatory Credit: John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images
Jul 27, 2025; Toronto, ON, Canada; Sebastian Ofner (AUT) hits a ball to Reilly Opelka (not pictured) in first round play at Sobeys Stadium. Mandatory Credit: John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images
Sebastian Ofner Breaks Silence After Viral Australian Open Defeat To Nishesh Basavareddy
In a bizarre event that played out at Melbourne Park on Wednesday, January 14, Sebastian Ofner raised his arm to celebrate against Nishesh Basavareddy after winning what he thought was the final point of the Australian Open qualifier. Ofner was up 6-1 in the final set tie-breaker and thought the set would be won as soon as he reached seven points.
But little did he know that the revamped rules of tennis, which were officially updated in 2022, mandated a victory for the player who was first to reach 10 points or won it by a margin of two.
The lack of awareness and early celebrations by the Austrian ultimately led to his downfall, as Basavareddy sprung a surprise to beat him in the tie-break after training 7-1. Basavareddy won the match 4-6, 6-4, 7-6(11).
After the shocking loss, Ofner took to his Instagram account to share the official video from the last set tie-break. He reminisced about what could have been and captioned the story, “S**t happens.” To make matters worse, Basavareddy rebutted with a choking celebration after the victory, which was directed at Ofner for celebrating earlier.
Screenshot from Sebastian Ofner’s story on Instagram
Sebastian Ofner Has Had a Torrid Time in the Australian Swing
It was not just premature celebrations that were a low point for the Austrian. Earlier in the Australian swing, Ofner played in the Challenger Cup Canberra, where he lost to Dusan Lajovic in straight sets in the Round of 32.
Now, when the entire tennis world is reacting to the blunder show from Wednesday’s game, Ofner has a lot to think about. He would hope to turn back the tide in his favor.
On the other hand, 20-year-old Basavareddy still has a chance to enter the main draw of the Australian Open, which begins on Sunday, January 18, and is currently playing his round 3 qualifier game against Great Britain’s George Loffhagen.
