Alex de Minaur is urging to home fans to “bring the noise” after adding Spanish wunderkind Carlos Alcaraz to his growing list of prized pre-Australian Open victories.
A large audience filled Rod Laver Arena and cheered loudly as De Minaur put on a thrilling performance to defeat the second-ranked player in the world and current Wimbledon champion on Wednesday evening.
On Sunday, De Minaur will face Canadian player Milos Raonic in the first round of the grand slam tournament. As the 10th seed, he will not face any of the top four players until the quarter-finals, but the draw on Thursday shows that he will have a challenging journey ahead.
Although De Minaur will not earn any ranking points for his 6-4, 5-7, 10-3 win against Alcaraz in an exciting match tiebreaker, Australia’s top player has surely gained a significant boost in confidence by defeating one of the sport’s top players.
“I am feeling very satisfied,” De Minaur expressed his joy after winning against 10-time Melbourne Park champion Novak Djokovic and world No 6 Alexander Zverev last week, and then defeating Alcaraz, the Open’s second seed, for the first time. “My performance is at a high level as I enter Melbourne. It has been a successful 2024 for me so far, and I hope to continue this momentum.”
Reworded: In the last year, De Minaur has defeated nine top-10 opponents and is now setting his sights high for the Open. The 24-year-old shared a motivating quote, “How big would you dream if you knew you couldn’t fail?” which has become his motto. He continues to challenge himself daily and hopes to reach new heights.
The beloved player, who is the first Australian to reach the top 10 since his role model Lleyton Hewitt in 2006, is looking to gain motivation from the local supporters at the Open, just as they did for his current Davis Cup captain in the 2005 final in Melbourne.
He expressed, “The louder it is, the better. I want to feel the intense energy. I always give my best for you all, so let’s make some noise.”
Even though he is currently ranked No. 317 in the world due to recovering from an injury, Raonic is a major challenge for the top Australian Open contender in his first round match. As a previous Wimbledon finalist and former world No. 3, Raonic has a powerful serve that can disrupt even the most skilled opponents.
If De Minaur manages to make it through the challenging first match, he will face either Italian player Matteo Arnaldi or Australian wildcard Adam Walton in the next round. The 24-year-old’s initial seeded opponent will be Chile’s world No 18, Nicolas Jarry, in the third round, and he could potentially face Russian fifth seed Andrey Rublev in the round of 16.
If De Minaur reaches the quarter-finals of his home Grand Slam for the first time, following two consecutive eliminations in the fourth round, he may face Italian fourth seed Jannik Sinner. However, he is not expected to face world No 1 and 10-time Melbourne Park champion Novak Djokovic until the semi-finals.
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The charity event on Wednesday evening displayed a level of determination and fervor that indicated the intense desire of both competitors to emerge victorious, despite its philanthropic nature.
In his debut summer match, Alcaraz could have understandably ended the night early after falling behind by a set and 4-1. However, he elevated his performance and managed to break De Minaur’s serve twice, ultimately winning the second set and forcing a tiebreaker.
Despite the disappointment of losing a crucial match point in the second set, even De Minaur could have given up. However, he bounced back and ultimately secured the win with a spectacular top-spin lob that Alcaraz could barely even touch.
Although he lost, 20-year-old Alcaraz stated that the exhibition match provided him with an ideal opportunity to start his assault at the Open on Sunday. “There’s no better way to prepare or get ready than playing against Alex in this match,” he said. “I was on track, so I believe I am getting ready.”
