De Minaur admits he felt pressure playing at home for first time
The Australian was pushed hard by Francisco Cerundolo before reaching the last 16 at Melbourne Park
Alex De Minaur, Australian Open, 2025 © Zuma / Psnewz
For as long as he has played here at Melbourne Park, Alex de Minaur has insisted, many times, how he feels playing at home in front of the Australian crowd is a privilege, not a pressure. They’ve got his back, he gives his all, the deal is done.
On Saturday, though, something strange happened to De Minaur. He felt the pressure. It showed, too, as he struggled in the first set and a half against Francisco Cerundolo, who seemed like he was in charge of every rally, pulling De Minaur around the court, forcing errors.
It took De Minaur until late in the second set to settle down and once he levelled, the physicality of his game began to hit home, the Argentinian beginning to struggle, finally beginning to miss. But it was nip and tuck for a while and later he admitted that he was feeling it.
“I feel like I learned a lot,” he said, after his 5-7, 7-6 (3), 6-3, 6-3 win. “I mean, looking back at this, I reckon this is probably the first match that I’ve played here in Oz where I’ve felt, like today, that I didn’t feel comfortable. I felt all of a sudden a little bit of pressure playing. I didn’t know what to do.
“I just told myself to go out there and compete. A part of me knew that at some point there was going to be always a match where pressure was going to be there and the nerves were going to be there, kind of the expectation was going to be there. I knew it was going to be a part of it.
“I just told myself to go out there, compete. Geez, I’d rather win ugly any day over losing pretty, right? Ultimately I lived to fight another day. My next one I’ll make sure I bring a better level.”
No better feeling than playing at home
Australia has not had a men’s champion here since 1976, when Mark Edmondson took the title. Pat Cash reached the final twice, Lleyton Hewitt once, Pat Rafter managed one semi-final. The wait grows every year and so when De Minaur, who ended last year ranked No 8, shows good form, the pressure is immediately put on his shoulders.
It’s the fourth time in a row he’s been into the fourth round at Melbourne Park and he has now made the last 16 in six consecutive Grand Slams. His consistency is as good as anyone’s out there, now he just needs to take the next step.
“There’s no better feeling than playing in front of a packed crowd, right,” he said. “Even playing in a day session and seeing everyone out there with me for four hours, right? They’re in the stands, and it’s hot in the stands as well. It’s obviously hot on the court. For most of that match, people in the stands are out there in the sun. They still supported me from the very first point till the last. That’s truly special.
“Today, day session, Aussie heat, born and raised in it, I’m ready to go whether it was three sets, four sets or five sets. I was feeling good physically. I knew the work I put in. That gave me the confidence to go out there and still compete till the end.”
“I might have lost that match in the past”
De Minaur now plays Alex Michelsen, the 20-year-old American who was runner-up at the Next Gen Finals at the end of last year.
And the Australian said his improvement in recent times means he will go into his fourth-round battle with renewed confidence.
“Getting through matches like today, maybe I think in the past, not playing well, not feeling amazing, I maybe would have found a way to lose that match,” he admitted. “Like that first set where I was in control and then all of a sudden it just kind of slipped out of my hands.
“I think this version of myself is exactly that: even if I don’t have my best day, I’m going to compete till the end, and I’m still going to be a very tough out for anyone who’s in front of me. I build on that. We move on. Hopefully bigger and better things coming on for the next round.”
