It’s hard to believe that James McCabe and Li Tu are a first-time pairing at the Australian Open.
The Aussie wildcards stunned No.1 seeds Julian Cash and Lloyd Glasspool in the men’s doubles on Friday, winning 7-6(5) 6-4 with quiet confidence but no outward expectation.
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“We thought we were going to get steamrolled in the second set after going a break down in the first,” McCabe said. “So, we were happy to get that break back, and then we just went on from there.”
Tu added: “We’re just happy to be here, and we’re just going to have fun with it, and see what damage we can do.”
The pair claim that they’re learning the doubles caper on the job, working with mentors Pat Cash and Wally Masur as well as Luke Saville. “Literally the best doubles players in the world, so you’d hope you’d learn a few things,” McCabe said.
They both back their service games but credit their mentors for aspects elsewhere.
“We didn’t know how to do anything at the net three days ago, so we’ve definitely improved a lot,” McCabe continued. “I didn’t know how to play doubles, so I was standing in the wrong places and everything.”
Self-deprecating quips aside, it’s clear that McCabe and Tu have it. They’re clearly having fun and have chemistry on the court – where Tu says 20 per cent of their chat is tactics and the other 80 per cent is banter, “or saying something and doing the opposite” - and off the court, where they naturally finish each other’s sentences.
“Singles is a lot more physical on the body and everything, and you’re out there by yourself. Doubles, you’re with someone and you can go out there have some fun and just do stuff you wouldn’t normally do in singles, and somehow it works,” McCabe said when asked about the difference in dynamics between the two games.
“Being able to talk to each other change of ends, or just say random stuff to each other mid-game,” Tu continued. “Sometimes he’ll come over to me and say something so random, and I’ll be like, ‘Dude what? What are you saying?’
“It takes the pressure off,” McCabe explained.
That element of surprise was part of their success on Friday in toppling the 2025 Wimbledon champions and could take the pair to the business end of the tournament.
“Tell your partner you’re serving one way and go the other way,” McCabe said when asked how they won the tiebreak in the first set. “If we don’t know where we’re serving, they don’t know.”
“Honestly that’s actually part of the strategy,” Tu confirmed.
Australians have celebrated much title success in men’s doubles at the Australian Open recently, with Matt Ebden and India’s Rohan Bopanna winning the trophy in 2024, Rinky Hijikata and Jason Kubler in 2023 and ‘The Special Ks’ – Thanassi Kokkinakis and Nick Kyrgios - in 2022.
But McCabe and Tu were keeping a level head on Friday, insisting they won’t be walking around Melbourne Park with extra swagger after their upset triumph. “I think we walk into the next round with the same mentality,” McCabe said. “We’re definitely the hunters every single time still,” Tu added.
The pair have not put a limit on how far they could progress at AO 2026, feeding off the same frenzied home crowd that they believe has helped to propel compatriots to silverware. And they’re not the only ones. Marc Polmans and Kubler, another Aussie wildcard duo, advanced after beating Kokkinakis and Kyrgios in three sets on Thursday night.
Australian John-Patrick Smith and his partner Adam Pavlasek, from the Czech Republic, also progressed on Friday with a straight sets victory.
“Playing on home is a big thing,” McCabe said of the crowd. “Hopefully they can get behind us more in the upcoming matches. You never know how far we can go.”
“They definitely played a big impact on us, riding the momentum and really bringing the energy and the good tennis,” Tu agreed. “If they can be there again for our next match that would be awesome.”