AUSTRALIAN OPEN

January 25, 2026

Alex De Minaur

Press Conference

A. de MINAUR/A. Bublik

6-4, 6-1, 6-1

THE MODERATOR: Alex, well done. Back-to-back quarterfinals at the AO. What were you most pleased with tonight's performance?

ALEX de MINAUR: Yeah, I think just mentally being switched on for the whole match. I know what Bublik can bring, and obviously he had gotten me the last couple times we played, so I was very keen for this match.

I'm very happy with the level from start to finish.

THE MODERATOR: Questions.

Q. What are you noticing is the difference this summer in how you're holding up on the baseline against some of these big hitters? You referenced it in your last match how people thought you could get overpowered by Tiafoe. People probably thought the same thing tonight, but it's not happening. What are you noticing is the difference?

ALEX de MINAUR: Well, I'm just showing the people that I have improved, right? I've got more to give. Yeah, I got tired of the narrative that these big hitters can take the racquet out of my hands. Yeah, over the years I have kept on improving. I have kept on getting more and more out of myself.

One of the things I have been constantly wanting to get to is exactly that, when I'm playing big hitters, not be a punching bag for them ultimately and really show them that I can go toe-to-toe with them and actually dictate and get them moving. That's the most effective way to play these big guys.

Ultimately, very happy that I'm able to execute that. And, yeah, the last couple of matches is some of the best ball striking I have had here at the AO. So very, very pleased with that.

Q. Obviously in your last match at a Grand Slam against Bublik you were two sets up and then proceeded to lose 3-2. How much did that play in your motivation towards today? Was that on your mind or something you tried to forget about?

ALEX de MINAUR: Yeah, as I said way back then, that was not a match I'm known for, right? So it was a tough one to take, and, you know, he's obviously been playing some incredible tennis.

Then we played in Bercy. Not Bercy. Well, in Paris Masters at the end of the year. And he beat me in a tough, three-set match playing some incredible tennis, right? Hey, I just had to cop that loss.

But of course going into this one, I kind of wanted my revenge. I knew what to expect and what I didn't do right the first couple times. I was very pleased with getting over the line and, yeah, not getting into trouble, right, because he can so easily get back into a match, slap a couple of winners, and all of a sudden, like, the match just goes sideways.

So I was very happy to be in control of that one.

Q. To get to this stage and with the challenge to come, how important is it to be going in this fresh and save your legs as much, given what's ahead?

ALEX de MINAUR: Yeah, 100%. I mean, I've got one of the toughest tasks ahead, right? So I'm going to make sure that I bring everything I've got.

It does help out that I'm feeling quite fresh, and it's going to be a physical battle, right, because there are many, many things that Carlos does incredibly well on a tennis court, and one of that is making the rallies quite physical.

He's got the ability to not only, you know, hit the ball incredibly well and try to hit you off the court at times, but also extend rallies.

So there could be some grueling exchanges. We both have shown that in the couple of matches that we have played. So this will be the first time playing a Grand Slam match, and I'm looking forward to what's to come.

Hopefully it's going to be a battle and it's going to be a long one.

Q. You have spoken already in the tournament about doubt, people that might have had doubt in your game. Coming into this quarterfinal, the furthest you have gone in a Grand Slam against a top seed, someone you have never beaten, how can you give optimism or positivity to Australian fans who came to see you do well on Tuesday?

ALEX de MINAUR: Honestly, it's not my job to give them optimism, right? They can sit there, think what they want, cheer for me. I mean, it's not my job to, you know, come out here and say, Hey, I'm going to come out on Tuesday and I'm going to -- yeah, there is no chance I lose this match, right? Because ultimately, I'm playing against Carlos. It's going to be an incredibly tough match, but it's not my job, right?

My job is to go out there and compete and do that and let me tennis do the talking.

What everyone else can decide before the match is their opinions, right? They ultimately can sit on their couch and decide X, Y, Z, right? Then after the match is done, they will have whatever else they want to say about the match, but that's just it. There is nothing I can do to control that. I'm not going to come out here and plead Australia to, ah, believe in me, I can do it.

I'm going to go out there. I'm going to compete. I'm going to go after the match. I'm excited for the battle. Yeah, ultimately it's something that I have never done, but, you know, there is always a first time for everything. I'm hoping that will be on Tuesday.

Q. It was 4-All in the first set tonight, and you win 14 of the next 16 games. How much confidence does that give you to do that against the World No. 10?

ALEX de MINAUR: Yeah, it feels great, especially with the amount of confidence he's been playing with as of late, right?

I feel like, you know, his game style hasn't really changed. He goes for high-risk shots very frequently, but he's been playing with some incredible confidence, and he's been pulling it off and applying so much pressure to his opponents.

So for me to be able to finally break through and give myself enough chances, where in some of those crucial moments maybe he gave me, you know, a couple cheap points and wasn't able to execute that high-risk shot, it made me feel great about myself, because, one, I applied constant pressure.

Yeah, I mean, this easily could have been an absolute battle. If that first set, you know, it doesn't go my way and I don't come up with a very good return game to go up 5-4, then all of a sudden we're going into tiebreak territory, and that's a flip of a coin.

Obviously I prefer when the sets are decided with early breaks, and I can consolidate my serve and be on top. But, yeah, it was great tennis, and we move on.

Q. People will look at the 5-nil record with Carlos and think, oh, he has got the wood over you, but they've been incredibly tight matches, a lot of really tight sets. I think you had match points going back to the 2022 Barcelona semifinal. How do you reflect on those matches when you think back to the five you have played? Where has been the difference? Where has he edged you in the key moments?

ALEX de MINAUR: Yeah, look, they've been different matches on different surfaces and different stages of his career, right? This is going to be the first time playing at a Grand Slam, so I'm very keen to see how it goes.

He's obviously playing at an incredibly high level, as we have seen all week long. When we played in the exhibition match, he was playing some pretty high-quality tennis. I know what to expect.

For me, it just comes down to I'm going to have to bring some of my best tennis, right? That's what it's going to take to, you know, get into the match and make it difficult for him and extend this match as much as I can, and ultimately go out there to compete, right?

He's got now the ability. He seems to have found a way to -- you know, one of the things he's been working on is not lose that focus, right?

In the past, he's maybe had times where he's maybe been able to give you a couple of cheap points here and there and kind of let opponents get into the match, and he's been working on that. So he's going to only make it harder.

But since the start of the week, it's been a challenge. It's been a tough draw. It's been tough matches. I have been just excited for the challenge. This is going to be my toughest test yet, and yeah, we'll see how I go.

Q. 41-degree forecast Tuesday. We're assuming you will be the night match. With the roof open and closed, can you speak from a player's perspective how that might change things on court in the roof has to be closed due to the heat rule? What would you prefer?

ALEX de MINAUR: I mean, I'm Aussie. I don't mind the heat. I have said it since day one. That's just what I have grown up with, and I'm ready for these types of conditions.

I assume the roof will be closed. I don't know for certain, but if the heat rule is into effect, it's going to make it a little bit of an indoor match.

Hey, it is what it is. I mean, once I rock up on Tuesday and I walk on court, you just deal with whatever's in front of you. Yeah, that's always -- when the roof is open, even at night, there is always some elements, right? There is always, here in Melbourne, a little bit of breeze always from one side. That kind of makes not perfect playing conditions.

If it's indoor, then it's going to be pretty perfect conditions, so that's ultimately the difference. I had the chance to play with the roof closed when it started raining in my match against Hamad, and I played a pretty good level there.

So, yeah, I don't know what to expect, but ultimately I'm excited.