Alex de Minaur will play Matteo Berrettini in the first round of the 2026 Australian Open.
The draw really couldn’t have delivered De Minaur a more difficult first-round opponent…
Berrettini is a former top 10 player, a former Grand Slam finalist, and a former semifinalist at the Australian Open.
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De Minaur will have his work cut out for him if he is to advance to the second round.
Watching De Minaur play Carlos Alcaraz in an exhibition match on Rod Laver Arena, Aussie legend Lleyton Hewitt shared what he must do to avoid defeat against Berrettini.
Lleyton Hewitt says Alex de Minaur has to be ‘really sharp’ if he wants to beat Matteo Berrettini
Hewitt shared his reaction to De Minaur’s Australian Open draw.
“Very tough, one of the most dangerous floaters in the draw, I think,” he said.
Alex de Minaur’s projected Australian Open draw
- 1R – Matteo Berrettini
- 2R – Mariano Navone
- 3R – Frances Tiafoe
- 4R – Alexander Bublik
- QF – Carlos Alcaraz
- SF – Alexander Zverev
- F – Jannik Sinner
“Alex [de Minaur] has had some tough matches with him, won some, lost some.
Alex de Minaur and Matteo Berrettini’s head-to-head record
| Match | Winner | Loser | Score |
| 2025 Vienna Open – QF | Alex de Minaur | Matteo Berrettini | 6-1, 7-6 |
| 2025 Miami Open – 4R | Matteo Berrettini | Alex de Minaur | 6-3, 7-6 |
| 2023 Wimbledon – 2R | Matteo Berrettini | Alex de Minaur | 6-4, 6-4, 6-4 |
| 2022 ATP Cup – RR | Alex de Minaur | Matteo Berrettini | 6-3, 7-6 |
| 2021 Queen’s – SF | Matteo Berrettini | Alex de Minaur | 6-4, 6-4 |
“But he’s certainly wary of what to expect out there, and he’s going to have to be on his game right from the word go.
“Sometimes that’s a good thing to have at Grand Slams, to be wary of that first-round opponent, you’ve got to come out and be really sharp, and he’s certainly going to need that in his opening match.”
De Minaur definitely looked sharp during his exhibition bout with Alcaraz.
When Todd Woodbridge spoke to Hewitt during the match, De Minaur was behind, but the quality on display was impressive.
“It’s high quality, right from the start tonight. Alex, obviously, lost his first service game, but I thought the rest of that first set was quality tennis from both players,” said Hewitt.
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“Sitting courtside here, just how hard these guys are hitting the ball, and then Carlos is able to generate that extra bit of pace at the moment.
“Really happy with how Alex is going, obviously that was a bit of a loose service game there, throwing in a double fault as well, so he’s got to try and find a way to break back here. But unbelievable preparation.”
Hewitt was then asked if De Minaur was treating the match like an official contest or an exhibition.
“A little bit of both,” he said.
Alex de Minaur and Carlos Alcaraz’s head-to-head record
| Match | Winner | Loser | Score |
| 2025 ATP Finals – RR | Carlos Alcaraz | Alex de Minaur | 7-6, 6-2 |
| 2025 Barcelona Open – QF | Carlos Alcaraz | Alex de Minaur | 7-5, 6-3 |
| 2025 Rotterdam Open – F | Carlos Alcaraz | Alex de Minaur | 6-4, 3-6, 6-2 |
| 2023 Queen’s – F | Carlos Alcaraz | Alex de Minaur | 6-4, 6-4 |
| 2022 Barcelona Open – F | Carlos Alcaraz | Alex de Minaur | 6-7, 7-6, 6-4 |
“You’re going out there, and the preparation today is the same as if you were playing a night match next week in the Australian Open. You want to try to go through that same nervous energy that you get.
“It’s obviously unbelievable to come out here and play here on this arena, in front of a packed house as well, you can’t get any better preparation.
“But also, you’ve got one eye on who you’re playing next week in the draw, and that’s a completely different match-up, to playing against Carlos.”
De Minaur lost to Alcaraz in straight sets, but showed some positive signs for fans to cling on to ahead of his first-round clash with Berrettini.
The home favorite will certainly have the fans on his side when he returns to Rod Laver Arena, but just how well has he played so far in 2026?
Alex de Minaur’s record so far this season
De Minaur has only played one professional tournament in 2026: The United Cup.
There, he played three singles matches.
- [LOSS] vs Casper Ruud, 3-6, 3-6
- [WIN] vs Jakub Mensik, 6-4, 6-1
- [WIN] vs Hubert Hurkacz, 6-4, 4-6, 6-4
Heading into the first Grand Slam of the season with a 2-1 record, it’s tough to judge where De Minaur’s game is at right now.
He looked well below par against Casper Ruud in his season opener, but recovered well against Jakub Mensik and fought hard to beat Hubert Hurkacz in the quarterfinals.
Only time will tell how De Minaur will perform at the Australian Open.
The 2026 Australian Open is scheduled to begin on Sunday, January 18.
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