Alex de Minaur becomes the first Australian since Lleyton Hewitt to make four consecutive fourth-round appearances in a Grand Slam men’s singles draw.
London, Great Britain, 7 July 2024 | Leigh Rogers
Alex de Minaur joins exclusive company by reaching the fourth round at Wimbledon 2024.
It is the fourth consecutive Grand Slam that the 25-year-old has reached the round of 16 in singles, a feat only seven other Australian men have achieved in the Open era.
The last to do so was Lleyton Hewitt, who advanced to the second week in six consecutive major tournaments between US Open 2003 and Australian Open 2005.
| Grand Slam men’s singles | |
| Accomplishment | Players |
| Australians to make four or more consecutive round of 16 appearances in the Open era | Ken Rosewall, Roy Emerson, Rod Laver, Fred Stolle, Tony Roche, John Newcombe, Lleyton Hewitt, Alex de Minaur |
The consistent De Minaur is determined to continue his winning run at the All England Club too.
“The first week of a Slam is about doing anything you can to stay alive and once you’re able to get through that first week, I feel like it’s a completely new tournament in the second week,” he said after receiving a third-round walkover from French qualifier Lucas Pouille.
“It’s when everything starts to click, you start to feel more comfortable with the conditions, the atmosphere, the balls, your tennis, your game itself. It’s when you’ve got to bring your A-game, because you’re getting to the deep end of these tournaments and playing the best players in the world.
“I’ve said for a long time, this is where I’ve wanted to be, right? I used to do really well in the lower-ranked tournaments, the 250s, but I’ve always wanted to take the next step and this was part of it. Going deep at Grand Slams is definitely part of the journey.
“Getting to the second week is a great start and I’m looking forward to hopefully pushing for more.”
De Minaur next faces 20-year-old Frenchman Arthur Fils, who is enjoying a career-best Grand Slam run.
World No.34 Fils won their only previous meeting, at an ATP clay-court tournament in Barcelona, earlier this season.
> READ: Ken Rosewall honoured at annual Australian event at Wimbledon 2024
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