Alex de Minaur eclipses Ash Barty and emulates Lleyton Hewitt feat after epic US Open run
The Aussie has recovered from his hip injury and is looking to make more history at the US Open.
Alex de Minaur has surpassed a staggering Ash Barty feat to become the first Aussie in 20 years to reach three consecutive grand slam quarter-finals having continued his brilliant 2024 form against fellow Aussie Jordan Thompson. Friends Thompson and de Minaur put on a brilliant contest in the US Open fourth round clash, but the No.10 seed defeated the veteran 6-0, 3-6, 6-3, 7-5 to advance to the quarter-final.
De Minaur entered the US Open under an injury cloud, but moved freely in the all-Aussie encounter and showed he is ready to take advantage of a wide open draw in New York. And his fourth round victory marked a 20-year first for Australian tennis.
De Minaur became the first Aussie tennis player to reach the quarter-final of three consecutive grand slams. He achieved this feat at Roland Garros, Wimbledon and now the US Open in 2024. His mentor Lleyton Hewitt was the last Aussie to achieve the feat in 2004. Hewitt went on to lift the US Open trophy that year and reach at least the quarter-final of the Australian Open and Roland Garros.
Remarkably, not even Barty or Sam Stosur achieved three consecutive grand slam quarter-final appearances during their illustrious careers. De Minaur was defeated in this year's Australian Open in the fourth round, but has since been in sensational form on all surfaces. De Minaur also joins Hewitt and Pat Rafter as the only male Aussie players to reach multiple US Open quarter-finals in the Open era.
The Aussie also has the opportunity to go one step further and reach a maiden US Open semi-final berth when he faces Jack Draper in the quarter-final. De Minaur has a 3-0 winning record over Draper and looks to have fully recovered from the hip injury that ruled him out of the Paris Olympics singles competition.
De Minaur will be looking to emulate his mentor Hewitt in winning the US Open. Hewitt is often found in the player's box of both Thompson and de Minaur during their matches. However, Hewitt was absent in the fourth round clash as he remained impartial. Against Draper, Hewitt will be supporting de Minaur as he looks to create more history for Australia at the US Open.
Alex de Minaur surprises after injury concerns
There were question marks around de Minaur and his fitness heading into the final grand slam of the year. The 25-year-old withdrew from his Wimbledon quarter-final clash after injuring his hip in the previous match.
De Minaur then withdrew from the Paris Olympics singles competition to gain more rest ahead of push at Flushing Meadows. However, the Aussie appeared to be back to his best on court having showcased his relentless determination and breathtaking agility across the hard court.
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And de Minaur admitted he has been surprised with his own form heading into the grand slam. "It's been a whirlwind. The last seven, eight weeks, I've dealt with a lot of emotions, a lot of experiences that have taken a big chunk of my energy and resources," he said.
"Coming in, I didn't have too many expectations. The hip wasn't close to 100 per cent. It wasn't feeling amazing. I just was going to go out there and see what I was able to do. Slowly it's been feeling better and better each day. So all of a sudden, everything has happened with the draws, a lot of upsets, and you're staring at this opportunity."
