Michael Mmoh has a beautiful comeback in the first round of the Australian Open against Viktor Troicki. The Serb was two sets to one and serves in the fourth set for the match. Even after missing the opportunity, the former World No. 12 immediately broke into the fifth set and took a 3-0 lead. Mmoh kept struggling to reverse the tide, and did so successfully after five sets and more than four hours.
His reward? A chance to play 20-time Grand Slam champion Rafael Nadal.
Before the world no. 177 touching the Spaniard, check out ATPTour.com for five things you need to know about Mmoh.
1) He grew up in Saudi Arabia, is a citizen of the United States and Australia
Mmoh spent much of his childhood in Saudi Arabia. Geraldine O’Reilly, his mother, is a nurse from Ireland through whom he also has Australian citizenship (more on this later). His father, former world no. 105 Tony Mmoh, is from Nigeria.
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2) He was named early after Michael Jordan
At the age of six, while living in Saudi Arabia, Mmoh was an early rise. His father would discover him early in the morning when he hit tennis balls against a wall or shot hoops. Mmoh is named after Michael Jordan, the NBA legend who played for the Chicago Bulls. At the age of nine, Mmoh enters 18-and-under tennis tournaments and divisions for men in Saudi Arabia.
3) Mmoh moved to the United States at 13
The junior Mmoh received a lot of attention at a young age, and this led to a big change in his life. Mmoh, then 12, won the prestigious Junior Orange Bowl Tennis Championship in Florida, and legendary coach Nick Bollettieri of the IMG Academy offered him a scholarship to join his program. The junior accepted the offer months later and made the move. He still lives in Florida a decade later. “I think the biggest thing about Michael Mmoh was his size,” Bollettieri said. “And he likes to hit the ball out of the ball, and I like that.”
Mmoh spent several years under the supervision of Glenn Weiner, who also coached Kei Nishikori for three years. Last year during the pandemic, Mmoh was able to practice with Miomir Kecmanovic and Sebastian Korda in the area.
4) He has an advantage in the domestic court during the Australian Open
Mmoh’s mother moved to Melbourne in December 2016, where nieces also live. The American, who says the city “feels like a second home”, remembers visiting almost every Christmas. It is no surprise that he is comfortable at the Australian Open being held in Melbourne. He especially enjoys the food.
‘I was in New York, was all over Europe, all in the United States. Melbourne is the best place in the world, ”said Mmoh. “No. 2 I would say is culture. People are so nice here, very welcome. Always ready to help you and you enjoy being in Melbourne. You never feel uncomfortable walking the streets in Melbourne. I think it’s a big plus. ”
5) Mmoh excelled during the ATP Challenger Tour, Nadal will be the biggest test
Mmoh has ten wins at tour levels, but the biggest part of his success is on the ATP Challenger Tour. The 23-year-old is a five-time title at that level, having recently triumphed in Knoxville in 2019. At that tournament, Mmoh dropped just one set in six games. He lifted his first Challenger trophy at the same event in 2016 at the age of 18.
Nadal will be the biggest challenge in Mmoh’s career. It will be the second Top 10 opponent he faces, joining Roberto Bautista Agut at last year’s Australian Open. While Mmoh lost in the match against the Spaniard, he defeated the then world 15 Bautista Agut during the Miami Open in 2018 hosted by Itau for his biggest victory by FedEx ATP Ranking.