New York – There was plenty of discuss in regards to the “reset” at this yr’s US Open. Koko Gouf reset utilizing a toilet break after a panic assault throughout a second spherical assembly with Donna Vekic, however Danil Medvedev and Stefanos Zitzpas endured a tough Grand Slam season.
For Australia’s Alex de Minaurus, resetting means altering routines when he faces Felix Auger Aliasime on Wednesday and tries to succeed in the semi-finals for the primary time within the majors. He shaves, modifications locations he would possibly go to dinner, modifications footwear, all strives to reset his thoughts and provides him the very best probability to succeed.
Martina Navratilova and Maria Sharapova stated reaching the quarter remaining was when the Grand Slam event really started. De Minaur says it is the second week. “The second week of the slam is a very totally different dynamic,” De Minauer advised ESPN at Flushing Meadows. “It is the top of the event enterprise. It is good to have slightly psychological reset, as you understand it is a lengthy journey. Having these short-term targets, it is a complete new event.
After all, there are a couple of routines in De Minaur’s routine modifications as properly. “I all the time shave earlier than a event, after which each time I enter a brand new week, I shave once more,” stated the quantity eight seed. “It is a method to reset my mentally. I’ve these little issues I tweak. I modify footwear. I get some totally different tools.
The Grand Slam occasion within the second week is a really totally different place than within the first week. After the primary few days of hustle and bustle, all the pieces rings within the second week when 128 matches are performed in female and male occasions. The locker room is empty. Dynamic modifications. It is one thing the gamers need to get used to.
“It is fully totally different in that sense. I really feel the general environment is slightly totally different,” De Minaur stated. “There are far fewer gamers. There aren’t that many single gamers left. It is a doubles participant. Juniors begin. It is a very totally different place.”
One of the crucial tough staff on the tour and maybe the quickest mover on the tennis court docket, De Minaur has been one of the crucial constant gamers for years, all the time in search of one thing particular to make massive breakthroughs, including energy to his serves and including extra pop to his forehand. The ultimate 16-year-old fixture on the slam rebounded from an early defeat on the French Open to succeed in the fourth spherical at Wimbledon.
At this yr’s US Open, he solely dropped the final eight units. He’s the primary Australian man to carry consecutive quarterfinals within the US since Lyton Hewitt, who received seven consecutive titles from 2000 to 2006 and received the title in 2001.
It has been 5 years since De Minaur first reached the ultimate eight within the majors, dropping to final champion Dominic Thiem and misplaced on the US Open in 2020. Alexander Zverev stopped him on the French Open final yr. In Australia, in early 2025 he felt that Jannik Sinner was too robust.
De Minaur’s match in opposition to Auger-Aliassime is the primary time he was widespread, not less than on paper, to succeed in the semi-finals.
That stated, the Canadian performed excellent tennis final week, knocking out third-seeded Zverev and following with a fierce battle victory in opposition to Andreil Brev. De Minaur is head-to-head 2-1 and is aware of he must discover a method to cease Ouger-Aliasime from loosening and chopping.
“He is clearly taking part in unimaginable tennis this week and he has plenty of weapons,” De Minaur stated. “He has a terrific serve. He has a terrific forehand. He tries to direct as a lot as he can. In that match, it is all about attempting to disrupt his rhythm and never giving him the chance to bully me on the court docket. Error, for me, it is about weathering the storm.
And whereas successful on house soil on the Australian Open is his final dream, De Minauer stated the US Open will do properly. “At this stage, there is a Grand Slam, proper?” he stated. “That is the final word aim. If you happen to solely get one, you will not get too noisy. I am proud of both of people who have fallen on my knees.”
