Alcaraz VS De Minaur, who will take a step further towards greatness?

At 6 PM today, the 2026 Australian Open quarterfinals will feature the world number one, Spain’s versatile warrior Alcaraz, facing off against the world number six, Australia’s rising star De Minaur. This marks Alcaraz’s third attempt to reach the Australian Open semifinals in his career, while it is De Minaur’s seventh effort to break into a Grand Slam semifinal. With billions of fans eagerly watching, who will advance further?

In the 2024 Australian Open, Spain’s all-rounder Alcaraz reached the quarterfinals for the first time in his career but was defeated in four sets by Germany’s powerhouse Zverev, missing out on progressing further. In the 2025 Australian Open, carrying dreams of winning the title and completing a career Grand Slam, Alcaraz took the first set in the quarterfinals but was then overturned in three sets by the injured ten-time Australian Open champion and Serbian star Djokovic. In the 2026 Australian Open, world number one Alcaraz has reached the quarterfinals three years in a row, launching his third strong bid for the semifinals.

This time, Alcaraz’s opponent in his quest for the Australian Open semifinals is the world number six and local favorite, Australia’s De Minaur. So far in their careers, Alcaraz has won all five encounters against De Minaur, making this an excellent chance to advance to the semifinals. However, playing at home, De Minaur is determined not to be defeated again easily and will fight hard to reach his first Grand Slam semifinal.

Born in February 1999, De Minaur turned professional in 2015. He reached the US Open round of 16 in 2019 and finished the year ranked 18th in the world, gaining widespread attention. In 2020, he advanced to the US Open quarterfinals, and in the 2023 season, De Minaur won the ATP 500 Acapulco title, reached his first Masters final at the Rogers Cup in Canada, and ended the year ranked 13th worldwide.

The 2024 season was a highlight in De Minaur’s career. Early in the year, he defeated then-world number one Djokovic in the ATP Cup mixed team event, entering the top ten for the first time on January 8. He successfully defended his ATP 500 Acapulco title and also won the ATP 250 event in Stuttgart. He reached the quarterfinals at the French Open, Wimbledon, and US Open consecutively, finishing the year ranked ninth in the world.

At the 2025 Australian Open, De Minaur reached the quarterfinals for the first time, completing his career milestone of reaching the quarterfinals at all four Grand Slams, and doing so consecutively. After winning the ATP 500 Washington title, he reached the US Open quarterfinals for the third time. At the 2025 ATP Turin Finals, De Minaur recorded one win and two losses in the group stage but still advanced to the semifinals, where he unfortunately suffered his 13th consecutive defeat to the eventual champion and Italy’s rising star Sinner.

Though De Minaur’s career record may not be dazzling, it is certainly impressive. Serbian star Djokovic praised him as “one of the fastest movers on the tour, with many shots that 99% of players cannot replicate.” 2021 US Open champion and Russian ace Medvedev commented, “In the 2024 season, De Minaur found consistent form throughout the year and performed well in every match.” Italy’s rising star Sinner, who holds a 13-match winning streak over De Minaur, said without exaggeration, “De Minaur is very steady, moves extremely fast, and has an excellent mindset. You have to fight for every point because he won’t give you anything easily.”

Facing such a tenacious and combative opponent like De Minaur this afternoon, the ambitious Alcaraz will undoubtedly give his all. By maintaining aggressive shot-making and tactical diversity while minimizing unforced errors, he stands a good chance to achieve another great result and push forward with momentum.

(Source: Tennis Home, Author: Qicai Doufen)