The one weakness in Alex de Minaur’s game recently has been identified but it’s actually ‘exciting’
Alex de Minaur, the world No. 8 Australian tennis star, has had a standout 2025, highlighted by his 10th ATP title at the Citi DC Open and a Canadian Open quarterfinal run, but his first serve has been identified as a critical weakness. Former coach Simon Rea, who worked with Nick Kyrgios, described this flaw as “exciting” due to its potential for improvement, per tennishead.net on August 7, 2025. Rea noted that De Minaur’s first serve percentage, averaging just 52.1% over his last five matches from the Washington Open final to Toronto, is a significant hurdle when facing top players like Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner. Despite winning 71.4% of first-serve points, his low accuracy forces reliance on his second serve, which lacks the power to dominate, as critics have long pointed out.
De Minaur’s serve struggles were evident in his 6-2, 4-6, 6-4 win over Frances Tiafoe in Toronto, where he landed only 42% of first serves, though Tiafoe’s 48% mitigated the issue, per tennishead.net. Australian coach Craig O’Shannessy, in a Sydney Morning Herald analysis from July 14, 2025, highlighted that De Minaur’s serve placement—hitting the body five times more often than Djokovic or Sinner at Wimbledon—lacks the precision needed for “cheap points.” O’Shannessy attributed this to a technical flaw: De Minaur’s front-on service motion, with insufficient shoulder rotation, reduces control and trajectory, a point echoed by Todd Woodbridge, who suggested emulating Djokovic’s serve adjustments.
Rea’s optimism stems from the belief that refining De Minaur’s serve could elevate him to Grand Slam contention. “It’s exciting because it’s a clear area where he can grow,” Rea said, noting that improved accuracy, not power, could unlock De Minaur’s potential against elites. De Minaur himself acknowledged this after his 3-6, 4-6 loss to Ben Shelton in Toronto, telling Tennis Channel, “I need to find ways to get easier points on serve to save energy for the big moments.” His 2025 season, with a 32-12 record and wins over Zverev, Djokovic, and Nadal, shows his defensive prowess and mental toughness, but his serve remains the primary target for opponents, per Wikipedia.
As De Minaur prepares for the Cincinnati Open, facing a potential quarterfinal against Shelton again, addressing this weakness with coach Adolfo Gutierrez could be pivotal. The “exciting” prospect of a more effective serve, paired with his elite movement and newfound aggression—evident in his 17/21 net points against Corentin Moutet in Washington—positions him to challenge for a US Open seed and beyond.
