Jim Courier delivers his honest verdict on Alex de Minaur’s first win of the season at the United Cup

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After a shaky start in his opener, Alex de Minaur looked back to his best against Jakub Mensik.

The Aussie number one worried fans at the weekend, when De Minaur lost to Casper Ruud in straight sets, serving eight double faults.

Bouncing back, De Minaur eased past Mensik, 6-4, 6-1, to keep Team Australia’s United Cup dreams alive.

De Minaur was pleased with the win, as was American tennis legend Jim Courier, who delivered his verdict on the 26-year-old’s performance.

Jim Courier says Alex de Minaur will feel ‘awfully good’ after beating Jakub Mensik

During commentary for Sky Sports, Courier shared his thoughts on De Minaur’s win over Mensik.

“It’s a very good match for Alex [de Minaur], it’s a very good matchup for him,” he said.

“He’s now 5-0 against this rising star from Czechia.

Alex de Minaur and Jakub Mensik’s head-to-head record

“Demon, sprinting away, and what a second set that was from him, so clean.

“Survived a challenge at the end of the opening set, to his serve, had to save some break points in two separate service games.

“But there was big separation once they got to the second set.”

Courier believes De Minaur will be pleased with the win, having moved his side to within one win of the United Cup quarterfinals.

“He’s got to feel awfully good about that,” he said.

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“Good night at the office for Alex de Minaur, some confidence building, and a pulse in Australia’s chances to qualify for the quarterfinals.”

The win was also important for De Minaur rankings-wise, as he looks to break into the world’s top five for the first time.

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With Taylor Fritz (United Cup) and Lorenzo Musetti (Hong Kong Open) still competing, De Minaur will need to pick up as many points as possible if he is to reach a new career-high ranking.

Is Alex de Minaur a genuine contender for the Australian Open?

Fans down under would love to see their man lift the Norman Brookes Challenge Cup on February 1, but is that a realistic target?

Honestly? Probably not.

De Minaur has yet to qualify for a Grand Slam semifinal, losing all six of his major quarterfinals.

Alex de Minaur’s Grand Slam QF record

• 2020 US Open QF – Lost to Dominic Thiem
• 2024 French Open QF – Lost to Alexander Zverev
• 2024 Wimbledon QF – Walkover
• 2024 US Open QF – Lost to Jack Draper
• 2025 Australian Open QF – Lost to Jannik Sinner
• 2025 US Open QF – Lost to Felix Auger-Aliassime

If he is to win his first Grand Slam, he’ll need to not only win his first quarterfinal but also win two matches after that.

That’s a hard enough task in its own right, but it becomes near-impossible when you view De Minaur’s head-to-head records against the world number one and two.

De Minaur is a combined 0-18 against Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner, the players who have shared the previous eight Grand Slam titles between themselves.

Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner’s Grand Slam streak

The Aussie has particularly struggled against Italian star Sinner, losing all 13 of their matches, winning just two sets.

De Minaur will need to turn those head-to-heads around fast if he wants any chance of winning a Grand Slam title in 2026.

However, with the Australian crowd backing him, it would be dangerous to count him out…

The world number six will begin his ninth Australian Open campaign when the tournament starts on Sunday, January 18.