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De Minaur sees positives, but Sinner defeat stings

De Minaur Reflects on Quarter-Final Loss to Sinner

Australian tennis star Alex de Minaur was candid in his post-match assessment after a straight-sets defeat to Jannik Sinner in the quarter-finals of the Australian Open on Wednesday. De Minaur described the 6-3, 6-2, 6-1 loss as a humbling moment, comparing it to “a slap across the face.” The defeat came after a period of steady improvement that saw him rise to world number eight and assume the mantle of Australia’s leading hope for a Grand Slam men’s singles champion—something the nation hasn’t seen since Mark Edmondson’s historic victory in 1976.

In just under two hours on court, defending champion Sinner maintained his dominance over De Minaur, extending his career record against the Australian to 10 wins without a loss. The outcome dampened what had been a promising run at Melbourne Park, where De Minaur had navigated the pressures of competing on home soil as a top-10 player with high expectations.

Despite the disappointment, De Minaur acknowledged the progress he’s made: “The positives? How I handled everything—the expectations, the pressure. The whole country wanted me to do well, and I wanted to do well. I would have loved to do more today, but this is what happens sometimes in tennis.”

However, the sting of defeat was evident as De Minaur reflected on the abrupt end to his campaign. “Playing some great tennis on home soil and then finishing off like that—it feels like you’ve just been slapped across the face, to be honest,” he said.

This wasn’t the first time De Minaur had faced such a harsh reality check. He recalled feeling a similar sense of frustration following a previous loss to Novak Djokovic. Still, he remains determined to learn and adapt. “I’ll survive and keep improving. I need to sit with my team and figure out a way to hurt Jannik on the court,” De Minaur said. “At the moment, we don’t have it, so it’s back to the drawing board—like I’ve done my whole career.”

Despite the setback, De Minaur emphasized that his potential is far from fully realized. “I don’t think that this is my ceiling. I’ve got more in the tank,” he concluded.