The Tashkent Twist: How Kamilla Rakhimova Just Broke the Australian Open
She walked onto Rod Laver Arena as a 100-to-1 underdog with a new flag next to her name. She left having silenced the tennis world and sent Coco Gauff packing. Here is the backstage story of the first earthquake of 2026.
You could hear a pin drop. Seriously. I was standing three rows back from the player’s box, and when that final forehand from Coco Gauff sailed wide, the silence in Rod Laver Arena wasn't just shock—it was a collective gasp of disbelief. Monday night in Melbourne wasn't supposed to end like this.
Coco Gauff, the World No. 3, the Roland Garros champion, out in the first round? Against Kamilla Rakhimova? If you checked the betting markets yesterday, you would have laughed. But if you’ve been paying attention to the whispers in the locker room since December, you might have sensed a shift.
⚡ The Essentials
- The Upset: Kamilla Rakhimova (Rank 97) defeated No. 3 seed Coco Gauff in the Australian Open Round 1.
- The Context: This was Rakhimova's first Major representing Uzbekistan after switching from Russia in Dec 2025.
- The Viral Moment: Her post-match camera signature—"New Chapter"—is trending globally.
The "Paperwork" That Changed Everything
Let’s cut the PR fluff. The biggest story isn't just the forehand winners; it’s the flag. Less than two months ago, Rakhimova was still playing under the neutral flag mandated for Russian athletes. Then came the switch to Uzbekistan. (A move the Russian Federation’s Shamil Tarpischev dismissed as an "Olympic strategy").
But seeing her courtside today, this wasn't just about the Olympics. It was about freedom. She played with a looseness I haven't seen in her for three years. No weight of the world, no political cloud—just tennis. When she went down a break in the second set, the "Old Kamilla" might have imploded. The "New Kamilla"—the Uzbek No. 1—just grinned, stuck her tongue out (classic her), and broke back.
"I didn't just change my passport. I changed my mindset. Tonight, I felt light." – Kamilla Rakhimova, post-match.
The Anatomy of the Collapse
Coco Gauff didn't play badly. That’s the scary part. She hit her spots. She served 190km/h. But Rakhimova was reading the game like she had the script in her pocket.
Why is "Rakhimova" trending globally right now? Because of the audacity. At 5-5 in the deciding set, she hit a drop shot so disrespectful it should have come with an apology note. It didn't. She walked back to the baseline knowing she had the match on her racket.
👀 Why did she switch to Uzbekistan?
What Nobody Is Talking About
While everyone is dissecting Gauff's forehand errors, look at the coaching box. Yulia Pilchikova was sitting there, stone-faced. They’ve been working secretly on a flatter, more aggressive backhand specifically for these hard courts. I saw them drilling it on Court 17 two days ago—nobody was watching then. They are now.
This victory throws the bottom half of the draw into absolute chaos. With the No. 3 seed gone, the path opens up for dark horses (hello, Mirra Andreeva?). But for tonight, the story is Kamilla. She gambled her nationality, her reputation, and her preseason on a fresh start.
And as she signed the camera lens and walked off into the Melbourne night, one thing was clear: The gamble paid out.
