In a devastating blow for Australian tennis fans, 27th seed Jordan Thompson was forced to retire from his second round match at the 2025 Australian Open due to a persistent foot injury. The 30-year-old Sydneysider, who has been managing the issue with injections, succumbed to the pain while trailing Portugal’s Nuno Borges 6-3, 6-2, 4-2 on John Cain Arena.
Thompson’s heartbreaking exit leaves Alex de Minaur as the sole remaining Australian in the men’s singles draw, a stark contrast to the historic three seeded Aussies who began the tournament. 25th seed Alexei Popyrin had already fallen in the first round, hampered by illness and injury niggles.
A Valiant Effort Cut Short
Despite the pain, Thompson refused to go down without a fight. He had break point opportunities midway through the third set, but the intensifying discomfort in his foot proved too much to overcome.
I was coming back, but I had a chance there. I barely won a point after the foot. I was getting outplayed before that anyway, but it’s disappointing because I did have a chance there.
– Jordan Thompson
The injury had been on Thompson’s mind even during his first round victory, and he acknowledged that he must now rest until fully healed. It’s a bitter pill to swallow for the Aussie, who is close to a career-high ranking and had to withdraw from lead-up tournaments in Brisbane and Adelaide.
Borges Marches On
Portugal’s top-ranked player, Nuno Borges, expressed sympathy for his opponent but was clearly pleased with his own performance. The 27-year-old, who reached the fourth round in Melbourne last year and at the US Open, has a fondness for the Happy Slam.
It is the ‘happy slam’ for me, for sure. It was for sure a breakthrough for me to play that well here [last year], and play best-of-five sets and learning how to deal with all this.
– Nuno Borges
Borges now faces a daunting third round clash with Carlos Alcaraz, but the Portuguese underdog is ready for the challenge, aiming to “keep the pressure on his side” and “bring out the best tennis to try to mess with them a little bit.”
A Nation Turns to De Minaur
As the second round wraps up, Australian hopes now rest squarely on the shoulders of 18th seed Alex de Minaur. The 23-year-old scored an impressive straight-sets win in his opening match and will need to summon all his “main character energy” to keep the home fans dreaming.
Meanwhile, Thanasi Kokkinakis aims to join De Minaur in the third round when he takes on British 15th seed Jack Draper in the evening session on John Cain Arena. With inclement weather disrupting play, the Aussie faithful will be hoping their remaining stars can weather the storm, both literal and figurative.
For Jordan Thompson, the 2025 Australian Open ends in heartache, a stark reminder of the physical and emotional toll of professional tennis. As he limps away from Melbourne Park, the focus shifts to the remaining Aussie contenders, each carrying the weight of a nation’s expectations on their shoulders.
