This Australian just earned $480k at the Open. You’ll never guess how she plans to spend it

Maddison Inglis has chosen an unlikely gift for herself to celebrate her fairytale run from qualifying to the last 16 at this year’s Australian Open.

Inglis became Iga Swiatek’s latest scalp on Monday night as the superstar Pole hunts a maiden title at Melbourne Park to complete her grand slam set, overwhelming the West Australian underdog 6-0, 6-3 in 73 minutes on Rod Laver Arena.

The 28-year-old will take home $480,000 prizemoney – her biggest payday by a sizeable margin – and her career-best performance has convinced her to lash out on a luxury item she previously would not allow herself to.

“I’ll definitely use a lot of it to invest back into my tennis and have some people on the road with me to support me and make some weeks a bit easier with family or friends because it’s a long year,” Inglis said.

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“I love shopping, so I’m sure I’ll buy something nice. I’ve wanted a Smeg toaster for so long [but] I just was, like, ‘No, you can’t do that’, so I think that’s going to be my treat – and maybe the kettle, too.”

For the record, Myer has the Smeg 50s-style, four-slice toaster on sale for $259, down from $329, so this is not the traditional tennis splurge. It won’t even cost Inglis another $200 to add the kettle as well, while the Lego enthusiast might buy some more blocks for her collection, too.

“I also really want a KitchenAid [food mixer]. I love appliances – I have a list. Maybe I can take a couple off that,” the world No.168 said, laughing.

“A big dream is a Mini Cooper. I’ll keep working on that. I want to be rolling down the Gold Coast in my Mini Cooper, so that’s a dream. We’ll see how the next few months go [first].”

Inglis raised her arms in mock triumph, and the crowd erupted, when a miscued Swiatek backhand ballooned long to award the Australian her first game at the start of the second set – and about half an hour into the contest.

She even had a game point for a 2-0 lead, but her second game for the match did not come until she was already 4-1 down, which she celebrated with a fist pump, then a cheeky peace sign while saying “two”.

“[Swiatek]’s done it to a few people where she doesn’t let them have a game,” Inglis said. “It’s just a natural thought going out there.”

Facing Swiatek’s mighty forehand, which generates enormous topspin and averages about 3200 revolutions per minute – Rafael Nadal-like levels – was an experience in itself for Inglis.

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“She’s a next-level player. You feel that pressure from every ball from her,” she said of Swiatek.

“I did say to Jason [Kubler, her fiancee and fellow player] after, he maybe should have spun it a bit more because I was hitting with him the last couple of days to get used to that. The first couple of balls in the warm-up; I was hitting them up here [gesturing above her shoulder].

“I was, like, ‘Whoa, that wasn’t what we had practised’.”

Swiatek’s victory sealed a 34-year first for the Australian Open women’s draw, and ensured a thrilling climax to the title race.

The world No.2 and the rest of the top six seeds – Aryna Sabalenka, Coco Gauff, Amanda Anisimova, Elena Rybakina and Jessica Pegula – have reached the quarter-finals in Melbourne for the first time since 1991. It has not happened at any major since the 1998 US Open.

Pegula sent her close friend and defending champion Madison Keys packing from the tournament in a 6-3, 6-4 result in the fourth round.

Swiatek, 24, is the youngest woman to reach the last eight at six grand slams in a row since Serena Williams in 2003. Up next for her is 2023 finalist Rybakina, who blitzed 21st seed Elise Mertens 6-1, 6-3.

Swiatek has won six of her 11 matches against the Kazakh.

“I wouldn’t say head-to-head matters because even when one of us was winning, it was always a tight match, or she beat me easily,” Swiatek said.

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“It doesn’t make sense to over-analyse who won the last ones, or how it has been looking. Every match is a different story. In every match, she’s been a tough opponent, and her tennis, for sure, is great. I need to be 100 per cent ready, and go for it, and use my experience and also the knowledge from previous matches.”

Read more about the Australian Open:

News and results from day nine

How de Minaur proved he has weapons to beat the best

Djokovic’s cheeky text to Carlos Alcaraz

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