Australian tennis star Alex de Minaur has suffered another tough loss to Carlos Alcaraz, marking his fourth straight defeat to the Spanish prodigy. The latest blow came at the Barcelona Open quarter-finals, where Alcaraz prevailed 7-5, 6-3 in a tightly contested match.
De Minaur started brightly, breaking Alcaraz twice in the opening set and surging to a 3-1 lead. But the world No.2 hit back with trademark resilience, winning four of the last five games to snatch the first set before stepping up another gear in the second.
Despite the loss, the 25-year-old Aussie remains in strong form on clay. His quarter-final run in Barcelona follows a solid showing in Monte Carlo and sees him rise to World No.7, overtaking Casper Ruud, Daniil Medvedev, and Andrey Rublev in the live rankings. This higher seeding could prove crucial at Roland Garros, helping him avoid early clashes with the likes of Novak Djokovic, Jannik Sinner, and Alcaraz himself.
Alcaraz, now riding an eight-match win streak, admitted to early struggles but praised de Minaur’s aggressive start.
“I started quite badly with the serve… but I calmed myself down and started thinking positively again,” said the 21-year-old Spaniard. “Alex started strong, playing aggressively, and the first set was really tight.”
Boulter Set for Second Roland Garros Appearance
While de Minaur continues to climb the ATP ranks, his fiancée Katie Boulter is also making headlines. The British No.1 is set to play the Madrid Open, marking the start of her clay court campaign ahead of Roland Garros, where she has secured direct entry for just the second time in her career.
Although Boulter suffered a first-round exit on her French Open debut last year, she’s been steadily improving her clay court prowess. Her recent success in the Billie Jean King Cup, helping lead Great Britain to a series win over Germany and the Netherlands on clay, reflects her growing confidence on the surface.
Boulter announced her arrival in Madrid on social media, signaling her intent to embrace the clay season head-on.
Bright Signs Ahead
For both de Minaur and Boulter, the European clay season presents a mix of challenges and opportunities. De Minaur is proving himself more competitive on clay with each season, and his gritty baseline game combined with improved firepower could see him go deep at Roland Garros. Boulter, meanwhile, has a chance to break new ground as she seeks to translate her hard court success to clay.
As both prepare for the grand stage in Paris, their journeys continue to capture the attention of tennis fans around the world.
