AO Hacks returns in the countdown in Australian Open 2025, providing fans with player insights to maximise their day at the tennis.

Feisty to candid on-court dispositions, niche fashion choices, unorthodox shot-making or any combination of these traits is often all it takes to trigger a player building a hardcore fan base.

These six cult favourites, each with a legion of loyal followers, may not be the biggest names at Australian Open 2025, but are well worth scoping out at Melbourne Park.

Jelena Ostapenko

While technically not the unheralded name her peers on the list might be, Ostapenko could still be considered a bit of an unsung hero.

A Grand Slam champion at Roland Garros eight years ago, she has risen as high as world No.5 in singles in 2018 and last year as high as world No.4 in doubles.

JELENA OSTAPENKO: Iga Swiatek’s kryptonite

The Latvian has carved out a following for her relentless aggression – she has some of the quickest hands in the business – which can leave crowds in awe when she hammers winners from any corner of the court.

Her competitiveness is unapologetically take-no-prisoners and the peculiar facial expressions that result – from disgruntled to delight – are the stuff of social media legend.

In recent years, her quirky self-designed tennis kits have taken her cult stardom to another level having adequately fulfilled the brief for unique.

Thomas Machac

When cap-back Machac sent Carlos Alcaraz packing in the Shanghai Masters quarterfinal in October, the beaten Spaniard declared the 24-year-old’s sustained shot-making as that of a top-five opponent.

It is not merely his athleticism and all-court game grabbing attention. The Czech is among a handful of ATP players who have re-popularised short shorts, an unintentional nod of sorts to his legendary countryman Ivan Llendl in the 1980s.