Alex de Minaur has been given a truly awful draw for his home Grand Slam tournament.
The Aussie number one will play former Australian Open semifinalist Matteo Berrettini in the first round.
He could then play Hamad Medjedovic in round two, Frances Tiafoe in round three, and Alexander Bublik in the last 16.
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It won’t get any easier from there, as De Minaur could play Carlos Alcaraz in the quarterfinals, Alexander Zverev in the semifinals, and Jannik Sinner in the final.
Asked about his nightmare draw after losing to Alcaraz in an exhibition match before the Australian Open, De Minaur sent a defiant message.
‘If it was meant to be easy, everyone would do it’ – Alex de Minaur on nightmare Australian Open draw
Talking to Aussie legend Wally Masur, De Minaur shared his thoughts on the draw.
“Hey, if it was meant to be easy, everyone would do it,” he said.
“So, I’m excited for the challenge!”
De Minaur is looking forward to playing in front of his home crowd again.
“Super happy, very excited to get started, and we’re just around the corner,” he said.
“Hopefully I can put on a show for you guys, thank you for the support, and exciting times ahead!”
He then assessed his 3-6, 4-6 defeat to the world number one.
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“He [Carlos Alcaraz] came out hot and stayed hot,” said De Minaur.
“I did my best, made it competitive, but he’s playing some good ball, so…”
De Minaur will now look to rest up ahead of the first round of the Australian Open.
Alex de Minaur’s Australian Open draw in full
The 26-year-old doesn’t have an easy route to the final by any means, but who could he play?
| Round | Highest-ranked potential opponent | Potential seeded opponents |
| 1R | Matteo Berrettini (56) | – |
| 2R | Mariano Navone (74) | – |
| 3R | Frances Tiafoe (31) | Frances Tiafoe [29] |
| 4R | Alexander Bublik (10) | Alexander Bublik [10], Flavio Cobolli [20] |
| QF | Carlos Alcaraz (1) | Carlos Alcaraz [1], Alejandro Davidovich Fokina [14], Tommy Paul [19], Corentin Moutet [32] |
| SF | Alexander Zverev (3) | Alexander Zverev [3], Felix Auger-Aliassime [7], Daniil Medvedev [11], Andrey Rublev [13], Francisco Cerundolo [18], Arthur Rinderknech [24], Learner Tien [25], Cameron Norrie [26] |
| F | Jannik Sinner (2) | Jannik Sinner [2], Novak Djokovic [4], Lorenzo Musetti [5], Ben Shelton [8], Taylor Fritz [9], Casper Ruud [12], Karen Khachanov [15], Jakub Mensik [16], Jiri Lehecka [17], Denis Shapovalov [21], Luciano Darderi [22], Tallon Griekspoor [23], Brandon Nakashima [27], Joao Fonseca [28], Valentin Vacherot [30], Stefanos Tsitsipas [31], |
De Minaur might have hoped for a better draw, but tennis fans won’t complain, as they can now look forward to several blockbuster matches.
How well has Alex de Minaur performed at the Australian Open so far?
The Australian number one qualified for his first Australian Open quarterfinal last year after three consecutive fourth-round defeats.
- 2016 Australian Open – Lost in Q1 to Kimmer Coppejans, 3-6, 3-6
- 2017 Australian Open – Lost in 2R to Sam Querrey, 6-7, 0-6, 1-6
- 2018 Australian Open – Lost in 1R to Tomas Berdych, 3-6, 6-3, 0-6, 1-6
- 2019 Australian Open – Lost in 3R to Rafael Nadal, 1-6, 2-6, 4-6
- 2021 Australian Open – Lost in 3R to Fabio Fognini, 4-6, 3-6, 4-6
- 2022 Australian Open – Lost in 4R to Jannik Sinner, 6-7, 3-6, 4-6
- 2023 Australian Open – Lost in 4R to Novak Djokovic, 2-6, 1-6, 2-6
- 2024 Australian Open – Lost in 4R to Andrey Rublev, 4-6, 7-6, 7-6, 3-6, 0-6
- 2025 Australian Open – Lost in QF to Jannik Sinner, 3-6, 2-6, 1-6
De Minaur has an 18-8 record at the Australian Open, making the event his second-best Grand Slam tournament.
| Grand Slam | Best performance | 2025 performance | Win/Loss record | Win % |
| Australian Open | QF – 2025 | QF | 18-8 | 69% |
| French Open | QF – 2024 | 2R | 8-9 | 47% |
| Wimbledon | QF – 2024 | 4R | 13-6 | 68% |
| US Open | QF – 2020, 2024, 2025 | QF | 22-9 | 71% |
Only time will tell if he can improve that record at the 2026 Australian Open.
De Minaur will begin his 10th Australian Open campaign shortly after the tournament starts on Sunday, January 18.
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