The bad weather during the French Open turned out to be surprisingly good for Alex de Minaur.
It made him believe in his skills on clay courts.
De Minaur made it to the quarterfinals in Paris for the first time by defeating former U.S. Open champion Daniil Medvedev 4-6, 6-2, 6-1, 6-3.
“I guess I’ve become a clay specialist now,” De Minaur joked.
His progress to the last eight came unexpectedly, given the tournament’s five days of rain delays and scheduling issues at Roland Garros.
“It’s pretty amazing, to be honest. I always thought I needed hot, lively conditions to play well on clay,” the 25-year-old Australian said. “But this tournament has proven me wrong. It’s been a surprise.”
He’s preparing for some teasing from his team about his newfound clay prowess.
“Now the hardest part is dealing with my team. They have every right to tease me,” he said with a wry smile. “I’ve complained about my clay game for years.”
After defeating Medvedev, De Minaur shouted something special to his team in the stands.
“I yelled, ‘I love clay. I love playing here. I can’t get enough,'” he shared, laughing again.
His only other major quarterfinal appearance was at the U.S. Open four years ago. He’s the first Australian man to reach the last eight at Roland Garros since former No. 1 Lleyton Hewitt 20 years ago, although De Minaur was too young to remember.
De Minaur is enthusiastic about Australian tennis, which boasts nine players in the top 100 rankings, despite the absence of Nick Kyrgios due to injury. Thanasi Kokkinakis, ranked 100th, was in the crowd at Court Suzanne Lenglen to support De Minaur.
