Alex de Minaur. Relentless. The two words are actually synonyms. When the name of Australia’s No. 1 is mentioned, the tennis world is associated with maximum effort, a tireless pursuit of better tennis and a relentless intensity that strikes fear into the hearts of opponents.
However, this Australian name doesn’t mean one thing, and that’s power.
Due to his physical limitations (6-foot-150 pounds, if you score at home), De Minaur is often labeled as someone who can be pushed around on the court. And, it was true in the past. De Minaur has hit a brick wall against the ATP power brokers and has run out of energy in the Grand Slams, where he went 0-5 in the quarter-finals.
But de Minaur says things are changing.
After dismantling service bomber Alexander Bublik in the round of 16, the Australian spoke of his ability to handle power better.
“I’m just showing people my progress, right?” he said. “I have more to give.
“I’m tired of saying that the big hitters can take the bat away from me. Yeah, I’ve been improving over the years. I’ve been constantly outdoing myself.”
De Minaur, who will face Carlos Alcaraz for the sixth time in the quarter-finals on Day 10 (0-5 lifetime), said he has been working hard to ensure he is not bullied by top players on the pitch.
“One of the things I’ve always wanted to achieve is when I play against the big guys, ultimately not be their punching bag but really show them that I can go toe-to-toe with them and actually call the shots and get them going,” he said. “That’s the most effective way to deal with these big guys.
“Ultimately, I’m happy that I was able to execute that. The last few games [have been] This was the best shot I’ve ever had at AO. Very very happy with this. “
