Alex de Minaur is looking to become the first Australian men’s winner at the Australian Open in 49 years.
Fans across the country have their hopes firmly pinned on De Minaur, as the world number eight is the last remaining Aussie left in either the men’s or women’s singles draws.
Jack Draper knocked Aleksandar Vukic out of the Australian Open on Friday in five sets, as the 28-year-old became the latest Australian star to fall at his home tournament.
Having taken down Botic van de Zandschulp in the first round, De Minaur beat Tristan Boyer in the second to secure his place in the round of 32.
It’s there that he will face off against Argentine star Francisco Cerundolo, who himself has impressed at this year’s tournament, winning his first two matches without dropping a set.
Ahead of their third-round match, one ATP legend has commented on De Minaur’s rise over the past few years and made a bold prediction on his chances for the rest of the Australian Open.
Novak Djokovic expects to see ‘great things’ from Alex de Minaur at the Australian Open
After Djokovic’s third-round win over Tomas Machac, the Serb was asked to comment on De Minaur’s recent improvements.
“Terrific improvement,” he said.
“I think his serve became a big weapon, maybe it wasn’t before.
“He was always fast, so he kept that, I mean, that speed on the court, I think he’s coming into, like, he’s approaching much more than he used to do.
“We all know how good he’s defending, but his offense has improved a lot, his court positioning has improved.”
Djokovic then gave his prediction as to what we can expect from De Minaur in the coming rounds.
“You know, it’s not a surprise that he ended up top ten last season in his best season yet,” he said.
“So I think we’re going to still see great things from Alex [De Minaur] in this tournament.
“I have watched him play a few matches, and the level is great.
“Level is great, he’s got the crowd behind him, he’s playing really well.”
De Minaur’s win over Boyer saw him advance to the third round in Australia for the sixth time in his career.
Consistency in the early rounds has never been a problem for the 25-year-old, but making deep runs in Melbourne has, with the Aussie yet to reach the quarter-finals at the event.
| Year | Round lost in | Opponent | Result |
| 2024 | 4R | Andrey Rublev [5] | Lost in five sets |
| 2023 | 4R | Novak Djokovic [4] | Lost in three sets |
| 2022 | 4R | Jannik Sinner [11] | Lost in three sets |
| 2021 | 3R | Fabio Fognini [16] | Lost in three sets |
| 2019 | 3R | Rafael Nadal [2] | Lost in three sets |
| 2018 | 1R | Tomas Berdych [19] | Lost in four sets |
| 2017 | 2R | Sam Querrey [31] | Lost in three sets |
De Minaur will hope to prove Djokovic right and finally make a run to the last eight at this year’s tournament.
He’ll no doubt have dreams of going even further and becoming the first Australian winner of the tournament since Mark Edmondson won the Australian Open in 1976.
What has Alex de Minaur said about Francisco Cerundolo ahead of their third-round match?
He may have dreams of lifting the trophy, but first he’ll have to get past Cerundolo in the third round.
Speaking after his second-round win, De Minaur was full of praise for the 26-year-old Argentine.
“He’s a very dangerous player, very tricky,” said De Minaur.
“He’s got a lot firepower from the baseline with that forehand.
“He’s had some big scalps on tour, he’s not afraid to play some big matches.”
De Minaur is expecting a tough match against Cerundolo but is ready for the challenge.
“It’s going to be a battle, I’m looking forward to it,” he said.
“I’ve got to be up for it from the very first point, bring that intensity, play some aggressive style of tennis, bring out a better version of myself, which I think I’m doing every day.”
De Minaur will take on Cerundolo on Rod Laver Arena, on Saturday, January 18.
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