Melbourne, VIC, Australia, 9 January 2025 | Dan Imhoff

Destanee Aiava recalls the doubts creeping in, wondering whether she would ever experience an Australian Open main draw again.

Four years since she last featured among the field of 128 starters, the 24-year-old silenced those uncertainties after almost two hours on court on Thursday, when she held off German Eva Lys for her return to the fray.

“I definitely thought that quite a bit. During the match, as well,” she grinned following the 6-1 2-6 6-4 victory. “I just sort of try to give myself goals and deadlines. I feel like I perform better under stress and pressure that I self-inflict upon myself.

“I think me, I don’t know, doing my goal setting before this tournament helped a lot.

“My goal was to qualify for this one. I mean, I told myself if I wasn’t happy with my year this year, then I’m going to go get a degree. But yeah, I feel like I perform better if I just don’t attach myself to my results as often as I do. It’s hard to do that.”

Local hope @destaneeaiava outlasts Eva Lys to win a place in the main draw! It's her first #AusOpen appearance since 2021 and fifth overall.

The Aussie got the better of her German opponent 6-1 2-6 6-4#AO2025 pic.twitter.com/zJGIUkZklg

— #AusOpen (@AustralianOpen) January 9, 2025

Aiava fell to her knees at the baseline – more relief than disbelief – as a packed home crowd on Court 3 shared in her jubilation once Lys’ final ball sailed long.

Twice before – in 2020 and last year – she had stumbled in the final round of qualifying.

Locked at 4-all in the deciding set, Aiava was determined this time would be different. She broke Lys with conviction and toughed it out on serve, the first time she had qualified at her home major.

“I think it’s more my mentality. It’s really me getting out of my own way and actually not shying away from wanting to succeed in this sport,” the world No.195 said.

“I know I’ve always had the talent and the hard work and all the other stuff. It’s just my brain.

“I think it was just a matter of actually putting myself in positions to play those big matches and get more experience, like qualifying for US Open, even reaching last round of qualies here last year, as well. All those matches, they add up. Even if I lose, I still learnt so much from it.

“I think the older I get, as well, I think it just comes with maturity, too.”

That run through US Open qualifying last year tapped into a belief that, at times, had all but vanished.

Her fiancé Corey’s support had played no small part in helping her through her well-documented mental health battles.

“I think definitely staying happy off court impacts my results on the court,” she said. “Yeah, he’s been a great help, stuck by me through a lot of things.”

The wedding has been set for November next year. In the meantime, Aiava – without a clothing sponsor – has to lock in her latest retro tennis outfit for her main-draw return.

It will be the first time she has played back-to-back Grand Slam main draws.

“I found one on Facebook yesterday before my match,” she said. “I might go pick that up. Only $35, which is a steal.”

As for the study, that has been put on the backburner: “The degree I want to do is fashion design.”

Birrell joins Aiava

Compatriot Kimberly Birrell followed Aiava onto Court 3 on Thursday, and after the pair exchanged “congratulations” and a “good luck”, the world No.99 later joined Aiava back in the main draw following a 6-3 6-7(4) 6-4 win over Oksana Selekhmeteva.

It was an emotional return to a sixth Australian Open main draw for the 26-year-old, whose progress injuries had curtailed for years.

“I don’t think I can speak properly. I just feel so many things – happy and grateful and relieved and tired,” Birrell said. “But I’m absolutely stoked and cannot wait to play next week.”

Following a protracted three-set battle against good friend Priscilla Hon in the second round, Birrell had opened up a set and a 3-1 lead on the left-handed Selekhmeteva only to have the match pushed to a decider.

Two match points slipped her grasp when she served for it at 5-3, but she responded with a subsequent break at the two-hour, 46-minute mark.

Kim Possible! 🇦🇺

An emotional Kimberly Birrell qualifies for the #AO2025 main draw after a resilient performance to defeat Oksana Selekhmeteva 6-3, 6-7(4), 6-4 👏 pic.twitter.com/8OCH3GrnJ7

— #AusOpen (@AustralianOpen) January 9, 2025

“The quality on tour at the moment is really high. I’ve qualified for a Slam before but didn’t feel anything like this,” she said. “To qualify for my home Slam is just the best feeling.”

Earlier, Maddison Inglis sought her fourth Australian Open main draw appearance and first since 2022, the year she reached the third round at Melbourne Park.

The 26-year-old fell short despite taking the opening set against Argentine 19th seed Julia Riera 4-6 6-1 6-2.

In her qualifying debut, 20-year-old wildcard and world No.400 Elena Micic pushed last week’s Brisbane International finalist Polina Kudermetova before the sixth seed prevailed 6-4 7-5 for her debut Grand Slam main draw berth.

Australia’s last man standing, wildcard Blake Ellis, was also the last qualifying match to finish. The 26-year-old narrowly fell to German top seed Dominik Koepfer 7-5 7-5.