Alex de Minaur advanced to the Australian Open quarter-finals on Sunday after defeating Alexander Bublik in straight sets.
De Minaur, who recently surpassed a record previously held by Rafael Nadal, defeated the Kazakhstani star 6-4, 6-1, 6-1.
Bublik felt the court was slow inside the Rod Laver Arena; something which may have benefitted de Minaur’s high-velocity, defensive style of play.
The Australian will face Carlos Alcaraz in the quarter-finals; a player he has struggled against in the past.
De Minaur will also have to contend with the extreme heat caused by the Australian summer: a factor which almost caused Jannik Sinner to withdraw from the tournament.
Will Alex de Minaur finish 2026 ranked inside the top five?
Ahead of his clash with Alcaraz, the ‘Demon’ discussed how he felt about playing in such extreme weather conditions.
Alex de Minaur discusses the extreme heat at the Australian Open
De Minaur was frank with reporters in Melbourne as he discussed the weather conditions ahead of his mouthwatering clash with the world number one.
“I mean, I’m Aussie. I don’t mind the heat. I have said it since day one,” de Minaur began.
“That’s just what I have grown up with, and I’m ready for these types of conditions.”
“I assume the roof will be closed. I don’t know for certain, but if the heat rule is into effect, it’s going to make it a little bit of an indoor match. Hey, it is what it is. I mean, once I rock up on Tuesday and I walk on court, you just deal with whatever’s in front of you.
“Yeah, that’s always — when the roof is open, even at night, there is always some elements, right? There is always, here in Melbourne, a little bit of breeze always from one side. That kind of makes not perfect playing conditions.
“If it’s indoor, then it’s going to be pretty perfect conditions, so that’s ultimately the difference.
“I had the chance to play with the roof closed when it started raining in my match against Hamad, and I played a pretty good level there. So, yeah, I don’t know what to expect, but ultimately I’m excited.”
De Minaur has performed well in Australia so far, but Carlos Alcaraz poses a completely different to the opponents he has faced previously.
The Australian has failed to defeat Alcaraz once in five meetings; and de Minaur has also never reached the semi-finals at a Grand Slam event.
Following his defeat of Bublik on Sunday, de Minaur has now reached seven Grand Slam quarter-finals.
Does Alex de Minaur lack the weapons to challenge Carlos Alcaraz?
For all of Alex de Minaur’s excellent defensive capabilities, he may fall short in the ‘firepower’ category when facing up against Carlos Alcaraz.
Rate Carlos Alcaraz’s chances of winning the Australian Open out of 10
De Minaur is an elite defensive player; perhaps the best on Tour. He is an individual who will make his opponent play an extra shot on every single point.
However, he simply does not possess the powerful groundstrokes and serve that are needed to defeat the world’s top two players.
Both Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz possess powerful serves and lightning-quick groundstrokes. De Minaur may be able to match the duo from the back of the court, but not from a serving perspective.
Alcaraz presents an almighty challenge for the ‘Demon’ to overcome, and few tennis fans would bet against the Spaniard advancing to the semi-finals.
