‘Bottle of wine’: drinks on Hon after breakout Open win

Creeson Downey and Darren Walton | August 26, 2025

Five years after drowning her sorrows following a devastating injury diagnosis, tennis battler Priscilla Hon is savouring the most significant win of her career.

Fellow Brisbane late bloomer Adam Walton also enjoyed a breakout victory on a banner second day for Australians at the US Open in New York.

Six years after debuting at Flushing Meadows and on her third attempt, Hon finally broke through with a 6-3 7-5 success over Frenchwoman Leolia Jeanjean on Monday (Tuesday AEST).

The 27-year-old qualifier was left overjoyed.

“I can’t be much happier right now,” Hon said.

“I love New York, everything about it. Like the fans … there’s so much energy and it’s so chaotic and there’s so much happening.

“But I’d way rather that than just silence, so there’s something about it that gives me a lot of energy and it makes me want to like do well.”

Making Hon’s heady day even sweeter is the fact doctors in August, 2020 told the shellshocked Queenslander her professional tennis career was over.

“The hip, I didn’t realise how bad it was,” Hon recalled.

“I initially did and I thought I hurt my hamstring and then the doctor at the time looked at my scans and I really went into it thinking, ‘Oh, I’ll be fine like in a week or something’.

“Then he’s like, ‘I don’t know how you did this. I only see this happen in motorbike accidents’ and I’m like, ‘What is this?’

“Then he’s said ‘I don’t know if you’ll be able to play like professional tennis and be moving like that again’.

“I didn’t expect that. I was just thinking I hurt my hamstring.

“So I was crying and I don’t know if I should be saying this, but I went straight to like the alcohol shop.

“I had like a bottle of wine. It was like 2pm and it was hot and I just went there alone and I told my friend, ‘I’m here, just come pick me up’.

“That was tough.”

Hon will hit a new career-high after the tournament but isn’t done yet, vowing to go out swinging against Russian 17th seed Liudmila Samsonova.

“Obviously she’s an unreal player. She’s got a very big game, so I know the ball will be coming fast like me,” Hon said.

“I played her a couple of years ago, and I did win that one. I remember that. So, yeah, I have nothing to lose.”

Walton also sent a more-fancied French opponent packing, taking down 22nd seed Ugo Humbert 6-4 7-6 (7-4) 5-7 6-1 for the biggest win of his career too.

“At a slam, to beat a seeded player and it’s a first win and you take great confidence in doing so,” Walton said.

Walton’s victory follows a titanic win over former world No.1 and 2021 US Open champion Daniil Medvedev in Cincinnati and will send the 26-year-old to a career-high of at least No.74 in the world.

“I’ve had a great American summer,” he said.

“I feel more comfortable being back on the hard courts, and I’m just glad that this American summer I’ve really been able to capitalise on some good matches and some good wins.

“Last year was was horrible. I didn’t win a match.

“But I’m just feeling very happy with where my game’s at right now.”

Hon and Walton can look forward to the biggest pay days yet, a minimum $US154,000 ($A237,000).

Walton has a huge opportunity to go even deeper in the draw.

He next faces Hong Kong qualifier Coleman Wong, the world No.176, for a place in the last 32 at a slam for the first time.

Daria Kasatkina gave Australia a third winner on day two, the 15th seed outclassing Romanian Elena-Gabriela Ruse 7-5 6-1.

Kasatkina will next play former Russian compatriot Kamilla Rakhimova.

The trio join Jordan Thompson in the second round.

But Aleksandar Vukic, James Duckworth and wildcard Talia Gibson all bowed out.

Big guns Alex de Minaur, the men’s eighth seed, and Alexei Popyrin open their campaigns on Wednesday (AEST).