Carlos Alcaraz continued his march towards the Australian Open title by defeating Alex de Minaur on Tuesday.
The Spaniard, who would complete the ‘Career Grand Slam’ with a title win in Melbourne, came through a tight first set before winning the contest 7-5, 6-2, 6-1 at the Rod Laver Arena.
De Minaur battled admirably against the Spaniard before his grip on the match quickly loosened, allowing Alcaraz to take full control.
Alcaraz, who will play Alexander Zverev in the semi-finals, praised the ‘Demon’s’ resilience while speaking to reporters during his post-match press conference.
However, he also discussed where de Minaur star went wrong, claiming the Australian star has an issue to solve when facing the best players the sport has to offer.
Will Alex de Minaur finish 2026 ranked inside the top five?
Carlos Alcaraz discusses Alex de Minaur’s problem against ‘top players’
Alcaraz began by praising de Minaur’s game, focusing on the Australian’s ability to fight for every point, and every ball.
“To be honest, I just feel what he’s trying to do against me or when he’s facing against a top player; we all know his level, his style, that he’s really fast, he doesn’t miss that often,” Alcaraz said.
“It’s just sometimes really difficult, because his speed and when he gets the ball, it’s really soon, and he doesn’t let you have time in the match.”
The Spaniard then noted de Minaur’s troubles when trying to play more aggressively against some of tennis’ best players.
He continued: “When he’s trying to play or when he’s playing against the best or the top player, he’s trying to be more aggressive, which sometimes he’s just out of his, you know, comfort zone.
“That sometimes we’re seeing him miss quite often in some quite easy balls, let’s say. I notice that, and we know how to approach the match, because let’s say we are, like, one step forward in that case.”
Alcaraz moves on to the semi-finals, where he will face Alexander Zverev for the 13th time in his career. The pair have a 6-6 record against each other, with Alcaraz claiming victory in their most recent match at the 2025 Cincinnati Masters.
If Alcaraz defeats Zverev, he will play Novak Djokovic, Lorenzo Musetti, Ben Shelton or Jannik Sinner in the final.
Carlos Alcaraz rivals Bjorn Borg and Pete Sampras
As per OptaAce, Carlos Alcaraz has now won 17 of his first 25 matches against top-10 players in Men’s Singles Grand Slams
This is the third most prolific total since the ATP rankings were introduced in 1973, behind only Bjorn Borg and Pete Sampras.
Borg won 19 of his first 25 matches against top-10 players in Men’s Singles Grand Slams, while Sampras won 18.
Rate Carlos Alcaraz’s chances of winning the Australian Open out of 10
Alcaraz has also completed an impressive feat only beaten by Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal, following his victory against de Minaur.
