Alex de Minaur Joins Djokovic, Alcaraz, Sinner League at US Open With Haunting Regret

On Saturday, Alex de Minaur made history, achieving an impressive milestone by becoming just the fourth active player to reach the Round of 16 at eight of the last nine Grand Slam tournaments. But when this achievement was raised in his post-match press conference, the Australian’s mind wasn’t on the feat. Instead, it immediately turned to the one blemish on an otherwise stellar stretch, which continues to haunt him.

Alex De Minaur advanced to the fourth round of the US Open for the fifth time in his career after a 6-7(7), 6-3, 6-4, 2-0 lead forced opponent Daniel Altmaier to retire with injury. The German, who had fought through a four-hour marathon against Stefanos Tsitsipas in the previous round, was visibly struggling to keep pace with the relentless Aussie. De Minaur’s win helped him join Novak Djokovic, Carlos Alcaraz, and Jannik Sinner as the only other players to have reached the Round of 16 in eight of the last nine Grand Slam tournaments.

Yet despite the achievement, the 26-year-old remained characteristically grounded. “Well, the first thing that comes to my mind is my loss at the French Open. That one still haunts me,” he said candidly, when asked in the post-match press conference ‘what he was most proud of on hearing a stat like that.’ Alex de Minaur was quick to recall the one event that broke the streak, this year’s French Open, where he had an earlier-than-expected exit. The Australian lost his second-round contest 2-6, 2-6, 6-4, 6-3, 6-2 to Alexander Bublik from a position where “99.9% of the time” he would have won.

But the Aussie quickly snapped out of the disappointment and shifted his focus to his impressive track record. “But no, obviously, it’s the results doing the talking, right? And it’s a great stat to have. It shows my consistency,” he added, acknowledging the rare feat he now holds alongside the sport’s biggest names.

Still, for de Minaur, it’s not just about stacking up stats. “Myself, what I pride myself in is showing up every single day. And, you know, I can have some good days or bad days on the tennis court, but ultimately I’m still going to go out there and compete and fight till the very last point,” he continued. Sure, the achievements come, but they only come when there is consistency and an effort to show up every single day, despite the losses. It is this that has made Alex de Minaur such a dangerous force on the biggest stages.

And while his consistency is now among the best in the game, the Aussie made it clear he’s not content with simply making the second week of Slams — “And yeah, I mean, I’m very happy with that stat. Now it’s about taking it to the next level, right? And, you know, breaking some new barriers. That’s the goal.” Now, as he heads into the fourth round on Monday, Alex de Minaur has a real chance to do just that.

Alex de Minaur to face Leandro Riedi next

While Alex de Minaur’s run to the US Open fourth round has placed him alongside some of the game’s biggest names, it also opens up a significant opportunity — one that could catapult him into the quarter-finals in New York for the third time. He will be playing Swiss qualifier Leandro Riedi, the world No.435, in the fourth round— a matchup that, on paper, represents a golden chance for de Minaur to break new ground.

Riedi, just 23 years old, stunned the tennis world this fortnight by becoming one of the lowest-ranked players in history to reach the US Open fourth round. This improbable run marks the first time he’s advanced to the second week of any Grand Slam. With just five main tour wins before this tournament, Riedi arrived in New York with little indication he was ready to make a deep run. Previously, he had only qualified for Wimbledon, where he lost in the first round to Oliver Tarvet, a fellow qualifier ranked outside the top 700. However, at the US Open, Riedi won three tough qualifying matches and then defeated Pedro Martinez in the first round without dropping a set.

His biggest highlight came against 19th seed Francisco Cerundolo, where he rallied from two sets down to claim a magical five-set victory — one of the tournament’s best matches. Riedi became the fifth qualifier to reach the third round this year and is the lowest-ranked player to make it that far in a men’s Grand Slam in over 25 years, a feat not seen since Danny Sapsford’s run at Wimbledon in 1999. While De Minaur will enter the match as a favourite and as the last standing Australian in the US Open, he knows that against a fearless and in-form opponent like Riedi, nothing is guaranteed, and every point will demand his full focus and fight.