US OPEN

September 2, 2024

Alex De Minaur

Press Conference

A. de MINAUR/J. Thompson

6-0, 3-6, 6-3, 7-5

THE MODERATOR: Alex, if you would, your thoughts on the win.

ALEX de MINAUR: Yeah, I'm happy with the win. It's never easy playing a friend and a fellow teammate in a big match. It wasn't easy, but I did what I needed to do, and happy to be in the quarterfinals here again.

THE MODERATOR: Questions.

Q. Let's start with the extraordinary. Have you ever won 18 games in a row at any level before?

ALEX de MINAUR: Yeah, I can't say I remember if I've ever done that, but yeah, obviously I got off to a good start today.

But, you know, the funny thing about winning sets 6-0, I don't think it's the best thing in the world, because I feel like there's a bit more added pressure, and your opponent just, yeah, relaxes a little bit more.

But yeah, again, I couldn't have asked for a better start today, and I think it was important. Yeah, can't remember the last time I won 18 games in a row.

Q. I wanted to ask, you mentioned there about the difficulty about playing a good friend. What exactly is that like, thinking before, during, and after the match?

ALEX de MINAUR: It's difficult, because obviously Thommo, I see him every day at the courts, and we have a chat and we talk kind of normally, and all of a sudden we're playing each other. We still say hello to each other, but we probably don't engage in as lengthy conversation as we would normally, not that we have anything against each other. It's just a little bit of that awkward moment that we know that we're about to play each other.

Then when we're on the court, we know each other so well from years and years that I think we both know how to make each other play badly in the sense of we know each other's weaknesses.

All of a sudden the level of the match becomes always a little bit scrappy. That plus obviously a bit of nerves from both of us. It doesn't always equate to the best quality match.

But I think the best thing is as soon as we're done, we're both back to normal and we can have a good chat afterwards. You know, Jordan, he's one of the best players that no matter if he wins or loses, as soon as he steps off the court, he has a genuine conversation with you like nothing happened. So I do appreciate that from him.

Q. How would you describe the journey you've had from those emotions we saw in you at Wimbledon and the pain you were in to the opportunity you have right now?

ALEX de MINAUR: Yeah, it's been a whirlwind. The last seven, eight weeks, I've dealt with a lot of emotions, a lot of experiences that have taken a big chunk of my energy and resources. Coming in, I didn't have too many expectations. The hip wasn't close to 100%. It wasn't feeling amazing. I just was going to go out there and see what I was able to do. Slowly it's been feeling better and better each day.

So all of a sudden, everything has happened with the draws, a lot of upsets, and you're staring at this opportunity. In a way, it's been a blessing in disguise, because I haven't put too much pressure on myself, because I know how I felt with my hip. But at the same time, every day I felt better and better. So it's hopefully I'm peaking for the right moment.

Q. It's going to be, in one sense, maybe a bit easier coming up against Draper compared to facing Thommo. You have had three wins against him out of three matches. How different or similar do you think this quarterfinal is going to be?

ALEX de MINAUR: Well, I think the biggest thing that we need to understand is that there is nothing sure in tennis, right? Doesn't matter how many times you've played someone. It doesn't mean much.

So playing Jack, he's coming off his best year by far. He's playing with a lot of confidence. He's got some very big weapons; his serve, backhand, and forehand at times. So it's always tough facing someone like him, especially a lefty.

I have had some success in the past. I'm going to try and draw on that, on what I was able to do in those types of matches. And just, it's the quarterfinals of a slam. I'm going to go out there and give it my all and compete, and these matches are there to be won. Being passive is not going to get the job done.

So I'm looking forward to the opportunity and excited for the match.

Q. You spoke very passionately the other day about the State of Origin in tennis in New South Wales. The Poms here are already calling your next match the Ashes. You'd be pretty keen to win one for Australia, wouldn't you?

ALEX de MINAUR: Yeah, I mean, do one for Australia, do one for myself, as well (smiling).

Look, I've played plenty of Brits. It's never easy. I feel a little bit of a hostile in the country at the moment. But again, these are the types of matches I want to be playing. I worked so hard to put myself in this position throughout the years. So many hours off the court, on the court, working on little things.

Because these are the matches I want to be playing, tail end of slams, opportunities, quarterfinals. Yeah, I'm excited for the battle.

Q. You're already an honorary Brit, aren't you?

ALEX de MINAUR: Depends on the day, depends who I'm playing, as well. But yeah, at times. At Wimbledon I was.

Q. You keep making new milestones every time you step on court. You're the first Aussie to make three Grand Slam quarterfinals since Lleyton. He's obviously one of your mentors and idols. Is it nice to be spoken about in that level?

ALEX de MINAUR: Yeah, it's always nice to achieve milestones. You know, as you guys probably know, I do it with my head focused on playing tennis, doing what I do best, try to keep improving. I don't make too much fuss. I just, you know, put my head down and work on my craft. I'm excited that the results are showing. Yeah, just gotta keep on winning tennis matches.

Q. You talked about Jordan coming off the court and having a chat, you've been in the ice bath. Did that curious moment early in the third set come up where you hit that lob and the hat falls off behind? Were you a bit puzzled by that? Have you had that sort of ruling before?

ALEX de MINAUR: That's happened to me so many times. I'm normally the one with my hat just falling. Yeah, the only thing that I felt puzzling is that I wasn't sure, and I actually in the moment didn't ask the ref, but I was curious if I would have hit a winner on the next shot if it still would have been a replay or not. Because I've had times where my hat has fallen off, I've stopped, but the opponent hasn't, and the referee deems it as, yeah, it's only endangering me and not my opponent, therefore, it's not a replay of point.

So, yeah, I didn't know what the case was today. But again, I've been through that many times. It's always, in my eyes, it should always be a let, and the same way that if it happens again, you lose the point.

Q. Does the court, does it concentrate inside the baseline? His hat was about a meter...

ALEX de MINAUR: I genuinely don't know. It feels like the rule just changes, depending on the ref, if I'm honest. I wouldn't be able to tell you the actual rule book, because I have had so many different situations where they have played it off different ways, but in my eyes, I feel like any time the hat falls off should be replay point no matter what. Obviously if it happens again, you lose the point.

Q. His hat fell off the other day, as well, and he caught it and continued to play the point.

ALEX de MINAUR: Yeah, that happened to me a couple of times as well, and that's actually worse, because the referee doesn't deem it as a let. So, you know, you try to do the good thing and catch it like a normal reflex, but yeah, it hinders you more than helps you. So if the hat is falling off, just let it fall off and then make sure it doesn't fall off again (smiling).