Alex de Minaur will be hoping to finally turn the tide against Carlos Alcaraz when the pair face each other at the Australian Open on Tuesday.
The ‘Demon’ has a poor record against Alcaraz, having lost all five of their contests on the ATP Tour, dating back to the 2022 Barcelona Open.
However, de Minaur will take great confidence heading into the clash with Alcaraz, as he has only dropped one set on his way to the quarter-finals.
Will Alex de Minaur finish 2026 ranked inside the top five?
Alcaraz, meanwhile, has won all 12 of the sets he has contested so far, and looks to be in imperious form as we head into the latter stages of the tournament.
Martina Navratilova believes de Minaur has a chance against Alcaraz, but only if he employs a specific tactic.
Martina Navratilova says what Alex de Minaur needs to do to beat Carlos Alcaraz
Speaking on the Tennis Channel, Navratilova noted the strengths of Alcaraz’s game.
She said: “Alcaraz has such amazing offence and fantastic defence, but he chooses to play offence, but he can play defence as well. Hard to find openings and then he comes up with the bigger shot.
“He hits the colour off the ball and then he hits another 10mph harder on the full run! The strength the guy produces on a full stretch is amazing. I mean, Alex has a shot at it but Carlos has to be off his game.
Lindsay Davenport, the 1999 Wimbledon Ladies Singles champion, added: “Sometimes players feel squeezed when they play the best mover, the best defensive player.
“On the women’s side, that would be Gauff creating those unforced errors. On the men’s side, it’s de Minaur.
“But for some reason, that doesn’t seem to faze Carlos at all. He doesn’t feel threatened by the speed or the shots coming back into play. He just calmly goes about building his points until he gets the right shot.
“Unless Alex can create some kind of panic in Alcaraz, unless he can get him a little bit uncomfortable, it’s just an impossible matchup for him.
“Alcaraz is patient, he waits to pull the trigger, he has the power on the forehand, and so far, Alex is going to have to come up with something different than what he’s done in the previous matches. Question is, does he have that other gear?”
Navratilova: “Drop shots, Carlos does not like to be drop-shotted. He likes the one hitting the drop shots and if Alex can do that, make him uncomfortable, because next shot you’re uncomfortable at the net, that’s one way to break up the rhythm, because he’s not going to outhit him.”
De Minaur will also have to contend with the extreme weather conditions when he steps onto court to face Alcaraz on Tuesday.
Temperatures have soared in Melbourne over the past few days; a factor that caused Jannik Sinner to struggle during his third-round match.
Could Carlos Alcaraz’s serve be the difference against Alex de Minaur?
It is no secret that Alex de Minaur’s serve is the weakest part of his game.
The Australian has struggled to develop a serve that can challenge the very best, instead relying on his excellent court speed and defensive nous.
As per the ATP Tour, de Minaur has made 58 per cent of his first serves throughout his career, winning 71 per cent of those points. He has also won 54 per cent of his second serve points.
Rate Carlos Alcaraz’s chances of winning the Australian Open out of 10
Comparatively, Alcaraz has made 65 per cent of his first serves, winning 72 per cent of those points. The Spaniard has also triumphed 56 per cent of the time when hitting a second serve.
Alcaraz’s serve has significantly improved over the last year, and de Minaur will need to neutralise the Spaniard’s weapon if he stands any chance of emerging victorious on Tuesday.
