Sunshine Coast tennis talent Dane Sweeny eager to impress in Australian Open qualifiers
After soaring to popularity last year, Sunshine Coast tennis talent Dane Sweeny is eager to emulate his form and go a step further after winning his first Australian Open qualifying match on Tuesday.
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Sunshine Coast tennis talent Dane Sweeny is ready to emulate his 2024 Australian Open form after winning his opening qualifying match on Tuesday.
The 23-year-old, who is competing in his fifth Australian Open qualifiers, overcame Frenchman Pierre-Hugues Herbert 7-6 6-2.
“To come out and win after struggling for a little while, it gives me a lot of confidence,“ he said after the victory.
“To do it infront of an amazing crowd makes it much more special as it brings out the best in me so hopefully I can keep it going.”
He will now take on Portuguese rising star Jaime Faria on Wednesday.
The Great Wall of Dane 🧱
— #AusOpen (@AustralianOpen) January 7, 2025
Dane Sweeny produced moments like this on his way to moving into the second round of qualifying, defeating Herbert 7-6(4), 6-2 🇦🇺#AO2025pic.twitter.com/E2JbIJg5WJ
In 2024 Sweeny progressed to the main rounds before going down in a five-set thriller against Argentine Francisco Cerúndolo.
The result saw him pocket a $120,000 payday and plenty of new fans.
“It was a bit of a whirlwind last year for myself,” he said on Monday.
“I started off well before I lost my footing a little bit but coming into the Australian Open it always gets you sharp.”
Training out of Mooloolaba’s KT Academy under the guidance of his head coach and father, Clay, Sweeny’s best ATP ranking has been 194 but enters the tournament at 320.
“Even though I didn’t carry my form on last year, my performances definitely gave me plenty of confidence that I can qualify,” he said.
“It’s my fifth year now but it’s always such an awesome opportunity and experience and the novelty hasn’t worn off yet at all.
“You don’t get too many chances to play on home soil all that often so it’s my favourite time of year and the Aussie crowd really brings out the best in me.
“I know it’s going to be tough but I’ve proven to myself that I can do it and I’m backing myself again.”
Sweeny is a part of the 128 men and 128 women competing at Melbourne Park from January 6-9 all vying for a place in the main draw.
Players will need to score a trio of consecutive wins to claim one of the 16 remaining spots in their respective main draw.
Originally published as Sunshine Coast tennis talent Dane Sweeny eager to impress in Australian Open qualifiers
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