Alex de Minaur has boldly declared that his Grand Slam days are over – and he has his sights set on Australian Open title glory.
Australia’s world number six and leading hope enjoyed the most dominant start to any of her nine Open Main draw appearances on Monday, defeating down-on-luck Mackenzie McDonald 6-2, 6-2, 6-3 in just 108 minutes.
Alex De Minaur was always in control during his first round match.Credit: Eddie Jim
Only once has de Minaur conceded fewer games at Melbourne Park than against McDonald: his 6-3, 6-0, 6-3 ouster of Italian Matteo Arnaldi in the second round of the 2024 edition.
De Minaur reached the quarter-finals of the Australian Open for the first time last year and has reached this round six times at majors – but he wants to break that barrier.
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“At the moment I feel like I’ve got to a stage where I’m not just another number in this draw,” de Minaur said.
“I’m playing to win it and be one of those guys in contention. I’m going to do my best and it’s not about being satisfied if I make it to the second week, the quarterfinals, the semifinals … I’m just going to have the mindset of ‘OK, I’m going to go for it’ and take it one step at a time.”
“But now I’m not just making up numbers. It’s about believing in my abilities and that’s going to be the only thing that ultimately allows me to take the next step.”
De Minaur advances to a first-ever meeting with Serbian upstart Hamad Medjedovic, who took three hours to beat Argentina’s Mariano Navone 6-2, 6-7 (3-7), 6-4, 6-2.
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