For context, de Minaur’s five quarter-final foes at majors were: world No.3 Dominic Thiem (2020 US Open), world No.4 Zverev (2024 Roland-Garros), world No.2 Djokovic (2024 Wimbledon), world No.25 Jack Draper (2024 US Open), and world No.1 Sinner (2025 Australian Open).
Draper’s ranking stands out, but de Minaur was physically compromised that New York day by a rare hip setback that sidelined him for months beforehand, and afterwards.
De Minaur has dropped only one set in advancing to the fourth round at this year’s US Open.Credit: Getty Images
The big-hitting Brit also became a top-five player this year before relenting to his own injury.
There are zero excuses this time for “Demon”.
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For all the respectful words de Minaur had for Riedi, the tour battler is a dream opponent, particularly this late in the tournament – and much preferred to seeded rivals Karen Khachanov and Francisco Cerundolo, both of whom suffered upset second-round defeats.
Like de Minaur, 15th-ranked Rublev is a many-times major quarter-finalist who has never cleared that hurdle. They played a five-set epic in the fourth round of last year’s Australian Open that the Russian won.
De Minaur and Rublev have split their eight career meetings, and both will view playing the other as a huge opportunity.
Meanwhile, Auger-Aliassime is a former world No.6 who made the 2021 US Open semi-finals, as well as the quarter-finals at Wimbledon and the Australian Open either side of that, but is now ranked No.27 and has largely disappointed since.
He leads de Minaur 2-1 head-to-head, but the Australian won their only clash after 2022.
De Minaur still must account for Riedi, and neither Rublev nor Auger-Aliassime will be easy – far from it – but a career-defining few days have arrived for the country’s best men’s player since Lleyton Hewitt.
World No.435 Leandro Riedi, of Switzerland, stands between Alex de Minaur and a sixth career grand slam quarter-final.Credit: AP
By placing himself repeatedly in the mix with an outstanding track record of consistency, he has earned himself some luck with the draw.
However, failing to deliver will, fairly or not, effectively throw de Minaur to the lions, who in this analogy are the critics who have long doubted him, and his ceiling as a player.
His outward disappointment at having Djokovic on the ropes and letting him escape in their fourth-round clash at Wimbledon this year was evidence that he wants and expects more, too.
On the flip side, progressing to a maiden major semi-final would be another fillip for a player who once got stuck in the third round at the slams, then later the fourth round, but through incremental improvements continues to edge closer to the top.
De Minaur would also get his wish of a primetime slot on the world’s biggest tennis arena, Arthur Ashe Stadium, after calling his repeat scheduling away from the US Open’s three major courts “a head-scratcher”.
On every measure, his time is now.
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“The way I go about my things is to let the tennis do the talking, and I take a lot of pride in that,” de Minaur said. “Hopefully, I can be here in New York for much, much longer. But for me, this was the first job done. Now, it’s onto the second week, which I’m quite excited for.”
De Minaur’s fourth-round clash with Riedi is scheduled to start on Tuesday at 1am AEST on Louis Armstrong Stadium.
Watch every match of the US Open live and on demand on Stan Sport, with select coverage also available on Channel 9 and 9Now.
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