Jay Chou’s One-Point heartbreak at the Australian Open as Petar Jovic fires an unreturnable ace
14th January 2026 – (Melbourne) Mandopop superstar Jay Chou took to the court at the Australian Open on the 14th, stepping in as a guest player for the novelty “1-Point Slam” format — where a single point decides the match. Drawn against 24-year-old Australian amateur champion Petar Jovic in the opening round, Chou’s cameo ended in an instant as Jovic sealed victory with a blistering ace, denying fans the dream scenario of a showdown with former world No 1 Daniil Medvedev.
Chou lost the pre-match toss for serve after a quick game of rock–paper–scissors, then strode out in dark shades, full of swagger. Once in position, he removed the sunglasses and braced — but Jovic landed a clean ace that Chou couldn’t touch, ending the contest on the spot.
Despite the lightning exit, Chou showed fine sportsmanship, giving Jovic a thumbs-up, followed by a handshake and a hug. He had joked beforehand that, with only one point to decide it, he might not even get a racquet on the ball — and so it proved. “If I could, I’d choose to serve,” he quipped, “at least then I’d get to hit it.”
Ahead of play, a draw listing on the official site sparked debate after Chou appeared under CHN (China), while fellow Taiwanese participant Joanna Garland was marked as TPE (Chinese Taipei). Separately, tournament coverage introduced Chou in the stands as a “Taiwanese singer, composer and actor” during a chat with Spanish star Carlos Alcaraz.
