Teen sensation Linda Noskova caused the biggest upset of the Australian Open 2024 on Saturday as she knocked out world No. 1 Iga Swiatek from the women's singles draw at Melbourne Park.
The 19-year-old from Czech Republic won 3-6, 6-3, 6-4 against Swiatek at the Rod Laver Arena to reach the round of 16 of a Grand Slam for the first time in her career.
Historic Third-Round Upset
Swiatek's third-round exit at the Australian Open marks a significant historical moment, becoming the earliest departure by a top-seeded women's singles player since 1979.
This surprising turn of events harks back to Virginia Ruzici's early exit in 1979 after losing her opening match.
Unprecedented Occurrence in Tournament History
Notably, this is the first instance since the tournament transitioned to a 128-player draw format in 1988 that the top seed failed to advance to the fourth round.
This departure breaks the norm established over several years.
End of a Streak
The defeat also brings an end to Swiatek's remarkable 18-match winning streak, a run that commenced in September 2023.
It represents only the second time Swiatek has been defeated by a younger player at the tour level, with the previous loss occurring in the Cincinnati semifinals against Coco Gauff last year.
Additionally, this marks only her second loss before reaching the fourth round in her last 14 major tournaments.
Teen Triumph Over World No.1
The last teenager to defeat the World No.1 at a major was Petra Kvitova, who achieved this feat by upsetting Dinara Safina in the third round of the 2009 US Open at the age of 19.
Adding to this historical context, Amélie Mauresmo was the last teenager to conquer the World No.1 at the Australian Open. She achieved this milestone by defeating Lindsay Davenport in the 1999 semifinals at the age of 19.
