Alex de Minaur has carved through the Rotterdam draw thus far, having reached the semi-final with minimal fuss.
It marks the continuation of his fine form to start the new year, which has seen him yet to lose to a player that he would have been expected to beat.
This newfound consistency and ability to overcome opponents that he should, on paper, have helped him re-establish himself as a top ten player who is not far from breaking into the top five.
Another title this week would certainly help that process, although he has admitted there remains a flaw in his game that needs addressing first.
Alex de Minaur rates his current level
Much of the conversation surrounding Alex de Minaurur relates to his inability to topple stars like Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner.
And, he has spoken at length about just how far away from them he feels, and what must change to bridge that gap.
Will Alex de Minaur ever reach a Grand Slam semifinal?
What is Alex de Minaur’s ceiling?
Well, after his latest win over Stan Wawrinka, the Australian would touch upon a new issue that he has plans to solve.
De Minaur claimed: “There are plenty of areas to improve. As I said, there are still unnecessary mistakes or unforced errors that aren’t normal, I would say. They’re not balls where I’m trying to do too much — they’re what I call ‘nothing balls’ that I’m missing, and I need to cut down on that.
“But overall, my serve is working well. It’s giving me chances to break. As the days go on, I’m feeling more and more comfortable. It’s slow conditions, tricky balls — it’s hard to adapt, so it’s not going to be perfect. But for me, it’s all about adapting.”
This came just after De Minaur shared what he finds incredible about Wawrinka following their match.
Alex de Minaur needs to start being braver against the best players
Whilst De Minaur and Alexander Zverev play completely different games due to their varied physiques, both need to inject one key weapon into their arsenal if they are to trouble the world’s best two players.
After all, they will not beat Alcaraz and Sinner by simply outlasting them. They need to at least try to outhit them.
What does Alex de Minaur need to change to challenge Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner?
Naturally, this will not work often, but if they go out with the intention of playing big, it at least reduces many threats that these superstars pose.
Missing more often will be expected, but if it stops them from dictating and feeling comfortable, then it’s worth trying.
Even if it loses them the next five meetings with these superstars, all it takes is for it to work once at a Grand Slam and they could be in with a chance of ending this duopoly and claiming one of the sport’s ultimate prizes.
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