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Yannick Hanfmann of Germany plays a forehand return to Carlos Alcaraz of Spain during their second round match at the Australian Open tennis championship in Melbourne, Australia, Wednesday, Jan. 21, 2026. (AP Photo/Dita Alangkara)
Yannick Hanfmann was no match for Carlos Alcaraz on Rod Laver Arena on Wednesday, but the German did find his match during his time in Melbourne.
The two hours and 45 minutes Hanfmann spent with the World No.1 on one of the cathedrals of the sport was a memorable experience for the World No. 102, but it probably pales in comparison to proposing to his girlfriend Sofie, who said yes.
The 34-year-old got into the draw when Emil Ruusuvori of Finland withdrew from the tournament, allowing him a direct spot without going through qualifiers. Hanfmann was in Melbourne with Sofie, his sister Ini, her fiance and some friends. With a week at their disposal, they undertook a trip to an animal park on Thursday where he popped the question.
“I kind of knew in that moment I wanted to do it, and told my sister and her fiance to maybe go to the toilet,” Hanfmann told ATPTour.com. He then proposed to Sofie and they are now engaged. “It was super nice. She was super happy.”
Subsequently, he enjoyed some on-field success too. He had just his second main-draw win at the Australian Open when he defeated American Zachary Svajda in the first round, to earn his place across the net to the top-ranked player in the world.
“It definitely feels good. I had that feeling that maybe things were going to go my way, but you never know,” Hanfmann said.
The man from Karlsruhe enjoyed a highest singles ranking of 45, and played tennis for the University of Southern California. He is hearing-impaired since birth. He has never gone beyond the second round of a Grand Slam tournament, since his ATP main-draw debut in 2017.
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Wednesday’s defeat was his second against Alcaraz in as many encounters. The first came on the Challengers circuit when the Spaniard was just 16.
“I played him in Seville in a night session, and I lost 7-6, 7-6,” Hanfmann recalled. “I was there with my now fiancee, with Sofie, actually, and we were like, ‘Okay, this guy is kind of good’, and now he’s No. 1 in the world.”
“I don’t think I played a bad match and I lost to a 16-year-old, so there was already something. And at first, I was a little bit like, ‘How can I lose?’ But then a few years later, it makes sense.”
After several years as a journeyman on tour, Hanfmann has one wish.
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“I’m 34. I’ve played a lot of them early on [in tournaments]. I would like to play them later on.”
© The Indian Express Pvt Ltd
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