Alex De Minaur has dismissed the haters by insisting he will let his tennis do the talking when he faces Carlos Alcaraz in the Australian Open quarter-finals.
It’s a second year in a row that De Minaur is into the last eight at the Australian Open after a 6-4 6-1 6-1 victory over Alexander Bublik.
It was an impressive display from De Minaur who suggests the performance is the ultimate proof that he is improving against the big hitters, “Well, I’m just showing the people that I have improved, right? I’ve got more to give,” the Australian explained in a press conference.
“Yeah, I got tired of the narrative that these big hitters can take the racquet out of my hands. Yeah, over the years I have kept on improving. I have kept on getting more and more out of myself. One of the things I have been constantly wanting to get to is exactly that, when I’m playing big hitters, not be a punching bag for them ultimately and really show them that I can go toe-to-toe with them and actually dictate and get them moving.
“That’s the most effective way to play these big guys. Ultimately, very happy that I’m able to execute that. And, yeah, the last couple of matches is some of the best ball striking I have had here at the AO. So very, very pleased with that.”
Last year De Minaur reached his first ever Grand Slam quarter-final at the Australian Open and now the Australian is into a second consecutive Australian Open quarter-final.
In 2025 De Minaur was well and truly beaten by Jannik Sinner and this time De Minaur will face Carlos Alcaraz for a place in the semi-finals.
The Australian number one’s record against the best players isn’t the best and has been under the spotlight by the media.
However De Minaur has dismissed any criticism from the haters and wants to let his tennis do the talking, “Honestly, it’s not my job to give them optimism, right? They can sit there, think what they want, cheer for me. I mean, it’s not my job to, you know, come out here and say, Hey, I’m going to come out on Tuesday and I’m going to — yeah, there is no chance I lose this match, right? Because ultimately, I’m playing against Carlos,” De Minaur acknowledged.
“It’s going to be an incredibly tough match, but it’s not my job, right? My job is to go out there and compete and do that and let me tennis do the talking. What everyone else can decide before the match is their opinions, right? They ultimately can sit on their couch and decide X, Y, Z, right? Then after the match is done, they will have whatever else they want to say about the match, but that’s just it.
“There is nothing I can do to control that. I’m not going to come out here and plead Australia to, ah, believe in me, I can do it. I’m going to go out there. I’m going to compete. I’m going to go after the match. I’m excited for the battle. Yeah, ultimately it’s something that I have never done, but, you know, there is always a first time for everything. I’m hoping that will be on Tuesday.”
A 5-0 head-to-head record for Alcaraz suggests that this will be a tough task for De Minaur who is eager to reach a first Australian Open semi-final.
However De Minaur is remaining optimistic and is excited about the challenge that awaits him in the quarter-finals, “I mean, I’ve got one of the toughest tasks ahead, right? So I’m going to make sure that I bring everything I’ve got,” De Minaur said.
“It does help out that I’m feeling quite fresh, and it’s going to be a physical battle, right, because there are many, many things that Carlos does incredibly well on a tennis court, and one of that is making the rallies quite physical. He’s got the ability to not only, you know, hit the ball incredibly well and try to hit you off the court at times, but also extend rallies. So there could be some grueling exchanges. We both have shown that in the couple of matches that we have played.
“So this will be the first time playing a Grand Slam match, and I’m looking forward to what’s to come. Hopefully it’s going to be a battle and it’s going to be a long one.”
As mentioned by De Minaur, this will be the pair’s first match at Grand Slam level.
