"I’m just here to prove a lot of people wrong” - Alex de Minaur on beating Novak Djokovic in United Cup 2024 QF
Alex de Minaur notched the biggest win of his career as he bettered the reigning World No. 1 Novak Djokovic at the 2024 United Cup on Wednesday, January 3.
Representing Australia in the second edition of the mixed teams event, De Minaur faced Serbia's Novak Djokovic in the first tie of the the quarterfinal between the two nations. The 23-time Grand Slam champion had won the sole previous encounter between the two at the 2023 Australian Open.
The 24-year-old showed unbelievable resilience and stunned the Serbian talisman 6-4, 6-4 to give the host nation a 1-0 lead and send the fans at the RAC Arena in Perth into a frenzy. Moreover, De Minaur became the first player to defeat Novak Djokovic in the land Down Under since Hyeon Chung at the 2018 Australian Open.
The Australian was over the moon after bettering the current best player in the world and spoke about how surreal the occasion was during his on-court post-match interview.
"It's extra special. Novak is an unbelievable competitor and what he’s done for the sport is pretty special. It feels surreal, amazing, and I’m very happy to do it here in Perth and Australia," he said.
Alex de Minaur added that he wanted to enjoy the match against Djokovic and not get bogged down by the pressure.
"When you go up against Novak you have to go out and enjoy it and back yourself and no matter what keep fighting until the end. Today was my day and I’m happy that I was able to get the win," the 24-year-old said.
During the interview, the World No. 12 was asked about the new elements he had introduced to his game that have helped him improve his level. De Minaur cited the lack of faith from others as his source of inspiration. Moreover, he stated the need for him to adapt to fulfill the vulnerabilities in his playing style.
“It comes from a lot of people not believing in me. So I’m just here to prove a lot of people wrong. Ultimately, I’m never gonna be the biggest or strongest guy. I’ve got to adapt & show I’ve got variety & different styles of playing tennis. I’m glad I was able to bring this level today,” he added.
A look into Alex de Minaur's performances at the 2024 United Cup
Alex de Minaur, the anchor man of Team Australia at the United Cup, began the tournament with a close three-set defeat, 6-4, 2-6, 7-6 (2), against Cameron Norrie of the United Kingdom. Australia would go on to lose the tie 2-1.
De Minaur won his first match at the event against Taylor Fritz of the USA. His 6-4, 6-2 victory was instrumental to Australia's 2-1 triumph over the defending champions. It also helped the host nation finish on top of the group.
Australia have now qualified for the semifinals, with Ajla Tomljanovic defeating Natalija Stevanovic in the second tie of the quarterfinals. Their next opponents will either be Greece or Germany.