In making the AO 2025 quarterfinals, Alex de Minaur became just the fifth Australian man in the Open Era to reach four consecutive major quarterfinals, and the first since Lleyton Hewitt 20 years ago.
Melbourne, VIC, Australia, 21 January 2025 | Patric Ridge
Alex de Minaur has had to be patient, but at Australian Open 2025, he has finally broken his quarterfinal duck at Melbourne Park.
De Minaur had not previously reached the last eight of his home Grand Slam from seven previous appearances in the main draw. He had reached the quarterfinals of every other Slam, and made the last eight at Roland Garros, Wimbledon and the US Open last year.
In making the quarterfinals, De Minaur became just the fifth Australian man in the Open Era to reach that stage at four consecutive majors (without interruption through absence) and the first since Lleyton Hewitt 20 years ago.
Australian men with most successive Grand Slam QFs (Open era)
| John Newcombe | 6 |
| Tony Roche | 5 |
| Rod Laver | 4 |
| Lleyton Hewitt | 4 |
| Alex de Minaur | 4 |
Indeed, only three Australian women have achieved the feat – the great 24-time major champion Margaret Court (11), four-time AO champion Evonne Goolagong (five) and Karen Krantzcke (four).
De Minaur is also among elite company when it comes to Aussies to reach four consecutive Grand Slam quarterfinals when allowing for interruptions due to absence.
Goolagong made 18 straight between AO 1973 and Wimbledon 1980. Court’s 11 came between Wimbledon 1968 and AO 1971. John Newcombe reached eight on the spin, while Tony Roche and Kerry Reid both made seven in a row.
Ken Rosewall and Hewitt (six each) are the only other Australians to make more consecutive Grand Slam quarterfinals than De Minaur.
De Minaur is the 14th Australian player – male or female – to reach the quarterfinals at all four of the majors, and the first since Hewitt in the 2000s.
De Minaur is just the fifth Australian man to make the quarters at both hard-court Grand Slams in the Open Era, after Pat Cash, Pat Rafter, Kyrgios and Hewitt.
Australian Open 2025, then, has been a brilliant tournament for the 25-year-old, whatever happens. He came into it as the highest seeded Australian (No.8) in the men’s singles since Hewitt was seeded third at AO 2006, and he has taken on the task with gusto.
1 – Alex de Minaur is the first Australian to reach the Men’s Singles quarter-final at the Australian Open since Nick Kyrgios in 2015. Star. #AO2025 | @AustralianOpen @atptour pic.twitter.com/TxMALMcJNH
— OptaAce (@OptaAce) January 20, 2025
In reaching the third round, he became the first player to make the round of 32 in each of the past seven hard-court Grand Slams – a tally that was subsequently matched by world No.1 Jannik Sinner, whom De Minaur will face next.
When he downed Francisco Cerundolo in the third round, De Minaur became the first Australian man to reach the fourth round at six consecutive majors since Hewitt, between the US Open 2003 and AO 2005.
De Minaur has now won his first six matches of the season – it is his best start to a campaign, surpassing the five wins he managed to start off 2021.
Wednesday’s clash with Sinner will bring up De Minaur’s sixth quarterfinal tie on home soil; it will be his 48th at ATP Tour level, and his 34th at a hard-court event.
But facing Sinner is an incredibly daunting prospect for De Minaur, who has a 0-9 record against the Italian.
Indeed, De Minaur is one of three opponents Sinner has played at least five matches against and remains undefeated, along with Tallon Griekspoor and Lorenzo Sonego.
Coincidentally, should De Minaur shock Sinner, then Sonego could well be his semifinal opponent.
🇦🇺🇦🇺🇦🇺
Home, it’s where the heart is.#AO2025 • @alexdeminaur pic.twitter.com/OoeCZKKbAr
— #AusOpen (@AustralianOpen) January 20, 2025
De Minaur, though, is not letting his record against Sinner dampen his spirits.
“The great thing about tennis is that once you step out on the court, you both start at 0-0, right? It’s a whole new day, a whole new match, and anything can happen. Sport is unpredictable,” he said.
“That’s exactly the mindset I’m going to have going into that match. I’m looking forward to it. They are the matches I want to be playing.”
No Australian man has won the AO title since Mark Edmondson in 1976. Since the event switched to the hard courts at Melbourne Park in 1988, only Pat Cash (1988) and Hewitt (2005) have reached the final.
The odds might be stacked against De Minaur when he faces Sinner, but he will have a home nation on his side.
Could this be his, and Australia’s, moment?