Determined De Minaur targets “new barriers” at the US Open

While proudly grouped among Grand Slam champions and finalists, De Minaur is also an individual standout. His 40th match win this year was his 27th on a hardcourt. The Australian leads the men’s tour for wins on the surface.

In another stunning measure of consistency, De Minaur is competing for the chance to contest a sixth Grand Slam quarterfinal when he takes on Swiss qualifier Leandro Riedi. In a peak 2024 season, he featured in the final eight at three of the four majors, becoming the best-performing Australian man at the Grand Slams since Lleyton Hewitt in 2006.

His performance at the 2024 US Open, where De Minaur was contesting his first tournament since suffering a serious hip injury at Wimbledon, provided a particular point of pride.

“The way I felt last year playing this tournament, I put it down to one of my best achievements in my whole career, being able to come out here and make the quarterfinals with how I was feeling,” he said.

In a pleasing contrast, De Minaur brings confidence this year after saving five match points to defeat Alejandro Davidovich Fokina in last month’s Washington final. He followed up with a quarterfinal run at the ATP Masters 1000 tournament in Toronto.

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