Habib earned himself guaranteed entry into the Open’s qualifying round next week after he blitzed through a prestigious ATP Challenger tournament in Chile.

Habib is proving to be a symbol of that in Melbourne as he battles to become the first Lebanese male to compete in one of tennis’ major tournaments.

‘Our nation has fought back’

“It’s been honestly a rollercoaster … I think he pushed really hard,” Heras told SBS News.

Patricio Heras (pictured), himself a former player, has been coaching Habib in the lead-up to the Australian Open. Source: SBS News

Habib will be joined by Benjamin Hassan in next week’s draw — a German-born player who also represents Lebanon and made it to the qualifiers last year.

“It’s very exciting to also have another Lebanese player here. We’re going to be cheering for each other … people back home are going to be watching and rooting for us, and I think it’s great to motivate the younger generation in Lebanon,” Habib says.

‘My heart’s just shattered’

“Every morning, I was waking up during that challenging time, I was contacting all my family members, my friends, making sure they’re okay,” Habib says.

“Hopefully we’ll find some peace.”