Alex de Minaur in staggering eight-month detail as tennis world stunned by Aryna Sabalenka shock
Alex de Minaur has continued his remarkable run of consistency, extending back to June 2024, by advancing to the quarter-finals of the Qatar Open. Meanwhile, in Dubai, women’s World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka was at the center of a major upset, falling in straight sets to unheralded Danish player Clara Tauson.
De Minaur, now ranked World No. 6, has been in superb form, highlighted by a quarter-final run at the Australian Open and a runner-up finish at the Rotterdam Open earlier this month. His strong start to the season continued in Qatar, where he battled past Botic van de Zandschulp 6-4, 6-4 in two hours.
Despite the subdued atmosphere in the sparsely packed stadium, de Minaur brought his trademark energy, using his speed and court coverage to neutralize the Dutchman’s powerful game. The victory extended his streak of reaching at least the quarter-finals in every ATP tournament he’s played since June 2024.
With his 13th win in 15 matches this season, de Minaur now faces fifth seed Andrey Rublev in the quarter-finals. Rublev enters the clash well-rested after a dominant 6-3, 6-4 win over Nuno Borges in just 62 minutes.
It was a tougher day for de Minaur’s compatriot Chris O’Connell, who suffered a swift exit at the hands of World No. 16 Jack Draper. The Brit, returning from a hip injury sustained at the Australian Open, broke O’Connell’s serve early in both sets and cruised to a 6-2, 6-1 victory in just 59 minutes.
Top seed Carlos Alcaraz also secured a quarter-final berth with a 6-1, 4-6, 6-4 win over Italy’s Luca Nardi. The Spaniard will now face Jiri Lehecka, who defeated Fabian Marozsan 6-4, 6-2. Elsewhere, Daniil Medvedev made quick work of Zizou Bergs, winning 6-2, 6-1, and will now meet Félix Auger-Aliassime, who advanced after Hamad Medjedovic withdrew due to an injury sustained in his victory over Stefanos Tsitsipas.
