With the dawn of a new season comes new talent. This time, a specific Aussie star is slowly inching her way into the spotlight in the WTA. Who is it? Well, you must have heard of Talia Gibson by now. The 20-year-old made a remarkable debut in the Australian Open, achieving her first Grand Slam main-draw victory by defeating world No. 94 Zeynep Sonmez. After losing the first set 3-6, Gibson rallied to win the next two sets 7-6(5), 6-1, showcasing her resilience and determination on the court at Melbourne Park – Catching the attention of spectators as a rising star.

But who is this newbie making waves? At just 13 years old, Gibson has already made a significant impact in the tennis world, demonstrating remarkable humility despite her achievements. Back in 2022, at the 14/U Australian Grasscourt Nationals in Adelaide, she reached the singles semi-finals and partnered with Jessica-Jade Haylo in the doubles final, where they were leading convincingly until bad weather forced a cancellation.

Obstacles rarely hold Gibson back. In early 2020, Talia Gibson’s plans to tour Europe for tournaments, including the Junior French Open and Junior Wimbledon, were derailed by the COVID-19 pandemic. After some restrictions eased, she competed in Melbourne, winning her first Pro Tour match against a highly ranked player.

However, renewed lockdowns led to canceled tournaments. But Talia stayed positive, continuing to focus on her fitness and education. The news was reported by the school’s website, where she said, “It is not an experience I could see anyone wanting to do, but I understand and accept why it has to be done. This experience has been a good opportunity for me to get on top of my schoolwork and create a hundred indoor training ideas which can only help in the long run.”

Emerging from the pandemic, she took the tennis scene by storm! In 2022, she contested qualifying rounds at the Australian Open and celebrated her first ITF titles, winning at W15 Rancho Santa Fe and claiming two titles at W15 Caloundra. Additionally, making her mark by playing her first main draw matches at the Tour level in 2023, competing in both the Hobart International and earned her first wildcard entry at the 2023 Australian Open.

2024 was an exciting year for her. She broke the Top 200 on April 1 and then climbed into the Top 150 by September 16. She also added three more ITF titles to her collection and came close to making it at Wimbledon and the US Open, reaching the final round of qualifying at both events. Clearly, establishing herself as a player to watch as she heads into the next season.

What’s Talia’s 2025 season looking like so far

Back in 2018, Talia Gibson confidently declared her dream of “holding the Australian Open trophy” in ten years, and she seems to be inching closer to that goal. After facing early exits at both the Brisbane International and Hobart International, Talia made a stunning comeback at the Australian Open this week. She defeated Sonmez, becoming the first Aussie to advance to the second round of AO 2025. Ajla Tomljanovic joined Talia Gibson, along with ATP’s James Duckworth, James McCabe, Tristan Schoolkate, Jordan Thompson, Aleksandar Vukic, and Thanasi Kokkinakis.

“Super exciting to get my first win here in the main draw,” Talia said to Tennis Australia on Monday, after her impressive victory. The 20-year-old has shown remarkable improvement since her last Grand Slam appearance two years ago in 2023. That year she faced a first-round exit to Clara Burel. Reflecting on her growth since then, she noted, “I think I have certainly made a lot of huge developments in lots of different parts of my game.” And as mentioned before, she took the 2024 year by storm.

“I think the last couple of months definitely got a lot of confidence from how I was doing in some tournaments,” she added. Noting that she chooses to “keep believing” in herself going forward.

Now she’s set to face No. 12 seed Paula Badosa on Wednesday. The veteran is also eyeing a possible win at the Grand Slam after facing a tough two years of injury woes that pushed her ranking up from the No.2 position in 2022. Can Gibson pull off an upset? Only time will tell. But from the looks of it, it’s going to be an exciting match.