Alex de Minaur, Australia’s No. 1 and World No. 12, is poised for a potential rematch with Novak Djokovic in the fourth round at Wimbledon 2025, a year after a hip injury forced him to withdraw from their scheduled quarterfinal, a match he called the “biggest of my career,” per *The Age*. The 2024 heartbreak, sustained during a sliding forehand against Arthur Fils, derailed de Minaur’s top-five trajectory, but his 2025 Wimbledon draw offers a shot at redemption, leading Australia’s largest singles contingent in 30 years with 17 players, per *SMH*.
De Minaur, seeded No. 11, opens against Spanish veteran Roberto Carballes Baena, who has won just one match in six Wimbledon appearances, per *The Age*. A likely second-round clash with compatriot Adam Walton follows, with No. 21 seed Tomas Machac projected for the third round, per *Brisbane Times*. If de Minaur navigates these, he could face Djokovic, the seven-time champion and No. 6 seed, in the round of 16. Djokovic, starting against Alexandre Muller, may face No. 30 Alex Michelsen in the third round, per *aapnews.aap.com.au*. Their head-to-head stands at 2-1 for Djokovic, with de Minaur’s 6-4, 6-4 United Cup win in 2024 his lone victory, per *Tennis Australia*.
Despite a 2025 season with highs like a Libema Open title and a Madrid final, de Minaur’s lack of grass-court matches—skipping ’s-Hertogenbosch and losing early at Queen’s Club to Jiří Lehečka (6-4, 6-2)—raises doubts, per *SMH*. His 2024 Wimbledon run, reaching the quarters with a 6-2, 6-4, 4-6, 6-3 win over Fils, showed his grass-court potential, bolstered by an improved serve (6.2 aces per match) and forehand, per *The First Serve AU*. Djokovic, post-knee surgery in 2024, remains formidable, with an 83% first-serve win rate at Wimbledon 2024, per *SMH*.
Other Australians face varied draws: Alexei Popyrin (No. 20) meets wildcard Arthur Fery, Jordan Thompson faces Vit Kopriva, and Alex Bolt, a qualifier, draws No. 10 Ben Shelton, per *The Age*. Women’s No. 16 seed Daria Kasatkina starts against Emiliana Arango, while qualifiers Priscilla Hon and Talia Gibson face tough openers, per *Tennis Australia*. De Minaur’s mental shift to prioritize enjoyment over rankings, as he told *The Age*, could fuel his run, with @AusTennisFan on X noting, “Demon’s speed on grass makes him a real threat.
