‘His serve isn’t great’: Beaten rival drops Alex de Minaur reality check – but Aussie has other weapons
Alex de Minaur’s fourth-round opponent at the Australian Open 2025, Alex Michelsen, praised the Aussie’s overall game while acknowledging that his serve may not be as strong as other top players. De Minaur cruised past Michelsen in straight sets on Monday night, securing a quarter-final matchup against world No.1 Jannik Sinner at Melbourne Park.
Michelsen, despite struggling to break through de Minaur’s defenses, remarked that the serve wasn’t the defining feature of de Minaur’s game. Comparing him to his previous Australian Open opponents—Stefanos Tsitsipas, James McCabe, and Karen Khachanov—Michelsen highlighted de Minaur’s ability to make up for any perceived weakness with his consistency and other attributes.
“I think Alex makes a lot more balls than the other guys I played,” Michelsen said. “He doesn’t miss, doesn’t give anything away for free. I think his serve is weaker, but that’s about it. He’s way faster, moves better, and his backhand is absolute money. He was hitting his backhand down the line so well today, which I wasn’t expecting.”
Although Michelsen noted that de Minaur’s serve isn’t a hot topic in the locker room, he admitted that the Aussie’s second serve gave him trouble during the match. “His second serve jammed me in the body so many times. I can’t really complain about it,” Michelsen added. He also acknowledged de Minaur’s improvements, having played him in Los Cabos the previous year. “His serve has definitely gotten better, and that’s why he’s top 10 in the world.”
Looking ahead to de Minaur’s quarterfinal against Sinner, Michelsen believes the Aussie will need to be flawless. “I think against Sinner, he’s going to have to not miss a single ball because Sinner is just unbelievable. But with the home crowd behind him, Alex definitely has a chance.”
De Minaur’s first-serve percentage against Michelsen was below 50%, something he knows must improve if he hopes to beat Sinner. However, he did unleash a 215km/h serve during the match—speed that could become a weapon if he can improve his accuracy.
“I don’t want to see those numbers day in and day out,” de Minaur admitted. “In the first couple of rounds, I was serving at the same pace but with 60% accuracy. Those are the numbers I want. It’s about using variety, setting up the next shot, and keeping opponents guessing whether I’m going for the big one down the T or taking some pace off and going for the short slider.”
Meanwhile, Sinner, who struggled with illness in the heat during his win over Holger Rune, is the reigning men’s champion in Melbourne. De Minaur knows he’ll face a tough challenge but remains confident, especially with the support of the home crowd.
