Alex de Minaur has been copping heavy criticism after his latest Australian Open exit — and honestly, an apology might be in order.
Find someone who looks at you the way Lleyton Hewitt looks at Alex de Minaur.
That’s the part that matters.
It’s far too easy to get lost in the harsh statistics that always seem to follow the 26-year-old when Grand Slam campaigns end. De Minaur is now 0–7 in major quarter-finals, a record shared by only two other players in the Open era.
Then there’s the even more brutal number: 0–19. That’s his combined head-to-head record against Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner.
The figures look grim the higher you climb — but they don’t tell the full story.
De Minaur has reached a level that almost no one else in the “next generation” can match. He’s made base camp near the summit, closer than most of his peers will ever get.
And losing to Alcaraz and Sinner is hardly shameful. Between them, the pair have won the last eight Grand Slam titles.
Just getting the chance to face them in the second week of a Slam is an achievement that’s being massively undervalued.
The “Demon” has beaten six of the current top 10 players in the world. His loss to American Ben Shelton — the No. 8 seed — came in their very first meeting.
As the No. 6 seed, de Minaur could easily have made the semi-finals with a kinder draw.
Based on his first-week form, it’s not outrageous to think he would have reached the final four if Novak Djokovic or Alexander Zverev had been the top seed in his quarter instead.
De Minaur owns 10 ATP titles. He’s earned more than $23 million in prize money alone.
He has reached more quarter-finals than any Australian male in the Open era.
So don’t cry for de Minaur as some powerless figure. Cry instead for every player ranked No. 3 or lower, whose achievements over the next decade may be diminished simply because they exist in the Alcaraz–Sinner era.
Yes, the sport’s slickest mover may not possess the same firepower those two do, but the grit he brings into the fight makes him as dangerous as anyone battling for that elusive No. 3 spot.
At 0–19, it must feel like running into a brick wall every time he meets them. But in Rocky Balboa’s immortal words: it’s not about how hard you hit — it’s about how hard you can get hit and keep moving forward.
And among the chasing pack, nobody keeps charging forward like de Minaur.
Pushing himself to play more aggressively against Alcaraz forced him well beyond his comfort zone. Trying to swing a war hammer while Alcaraz casually ripped 3000rpm topspin forehands was soul-crushing.
Tennis Podcast host Catherine Whitaker said de Minaur looked “bereft” in his post-match press conference.
He showed that emotion again in an Instagram post after his campaign ended.
“It hurts right now. Losing at home is never easy,” he wrote.
“This tournament is a childhood dream. I’ll keep working and come back stronger next year.”
And remarkably, you believe him. How many players outside the Alcaraz–Sinner duopoly can you say that about?
De Minaur’s work ethic is what defines him. He has never been beaten at a Slam by someone ranked below him. Every step he takes is forward.
Every step makes Australians proud. It’s been a long time since the country has had a male player consistently at the sharp end of the ATP Tour.
That’s why Hewitt looks at him the way he does.
Australia is starting to see what the two-time Grand Slam champion has seen all along.
Even Alcaraz offered a blunt but honest assessment of where de Minaur stands.
“When he’s playing against the best, he tries to be more aggressive, which sometimes takes him out of his comfort zone,” the Spaniard said.
“Sometimes we see him miss balls he normally makes. We know how to approach the match because we’re one step ahead in that case.”
It echoed de Minaur’s own post-match analysis.
He struck 16 winners and 29 unforced errors against Alcaraz, swinging big. Against Alexander Bublik in the fourth round, he hit 19 winners and only 10 errors.
“There were some good parts, but overall I’m playing out of my comfort zone,” de Minaur admitted.
“For me to take that next step, I’ve got to be comfortable playing that way for the whole match — that’s what it takes against these guys.”
So don’t cry for Alex de Minaur.
After one night of pain, he’ll be back at work, climbing again.
He won’t live with regret, because he knows he’s squeezing everything out of himself.
As analyst Matt Roberts said on The Tennis Podcast, de Minaur isn’t measuring his career through an Alcaraz or Sinner lens.
“He knows almost everyone on tour would kill for his career,” Roberts said.
“As long as he’s ringing everything out of himself, he can take comfort in that.
“I have a feeling he’s going to be OK.”
And he will be.
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