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Michael Mmoh pulled off a superb Australian Open first round comeback against Viktor Troicki. The Serb led two sets to one and served for the game in the fourth set. Even after letting this opportunity slip away, the former world No.12 immediately broke in the fifth set and took a 3-0 lead. Mmoh continued to fight to turn the tide, succeeding after five sets and over four hours.
His reward? A chance to play 20 times Grand Slam champion Rafael Nadal.
Before the world No.177 gets his chance against the Spaniard, ATPTour.com takes a look at five things to know about Mmoh.
1) He grew up in Saudi Arabia, is a citizen of the United States and Australia
Mmoh spent much of her childhood in Saudi Arabia. Geraldine O’Reilly, his mother, is a nurse from Ireland through whom he also has Australian nationality (more on this later). His father, former world No.105 Tony Mmoh, is from Nigeria.
You might also like: From Riyadh to Bradenton via Milan? Mmoh’s journey is speeding up
2) Named after Michael Jordan, he entered the sport early
At the age of six, while living in Saudi Arabia, Mmoh was an early riser. His father would find him outside in the wee hours of the morning hitting tennis balls against a wall or shooting hoops. Mmoh was named after Michael Jordan, the NBA legend who played for the Chicago Bulls. At the age of nine, Mmoh was competing in 18-and-under tennis tournaments and men’s open divisions in Saudi Arabia.
3) Mmoh moved to the United States at age 13
Junior Mmoh received a lot of attention at a young age, and it led to a big change in his life. Mmoh, then 12, won the prestigious Junior Orange Bowl tennis championships in Florida, and legendary IMG Academy coach Nick Bollettieri offered him a scholarship to join his program. The junior accepted the offer months later and moved out. He still resides in Florida today, a decade later. “I think the great thing about Michael Mmoh was his height,” Bollettieri said. “And he liked to kick shit off the ball, and I liked that.
Mmoh spent several years under the tutelage of Glenn Weiner, who also spent three years coaching Kei Nishikori. Last year, during the pandemic, Mmoh was able to train with Miomir Kecmanovic and Sebastian Korda in this area.
4) He has the field advantage at the Australian Open
Mmoh’s mother moved to Melbourne in December 2016, where several cousins also live. The American, who says the city “feels like a second home,” remembers visiting almost every Christmas. It’s no surprise he is comfortable at the Australian Open, which is held in Melbourne. He particularly likes food.
“I’ve been to New York, all over Europe, all over the United States. The first place in the world is Melbourne, ”said Mmoh. “No. 2 I’d say it’s the culture. The people are so nice here, really welcoming. Always ready to help and you love being in Melbourne. You never feel uncomfortable walking the streets from Melbourne, I think that’s a big plus.
5) Mmoh excelled on the ATP Challenger circuit, Nadal will be the biggest test
Mmoh has 10 tower-level match wins, but most of his success has come on the ATP Challenger Tour. The 23-year-old is five times titled at this level, most recently triumphing in Knoxville in 2019. In that tournament, Mmoh has lost just one set in six matches. He won his first Challenger Trophy at the same event in 2016 at the age of 18.
Dealing with Nadal will be the biggest challenge of Mmoh’s career. He will be the second Top 10 opponent he has faced, joining Roberto Bautista Agut at the Australian Open last year. While Mmoh lost to the Spaniard in that match, he beat Bautista Agut, then world No.15, at the 2018 Miami Open presented by Itau for his biggest win by FedEx ATP Ranking.
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