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| De Minaur had only won against Medvedev twice in their eight previous encounters. |
Australia's top-ranked men's tennis player, Alex de Minaur, has achieved a milestone by advancing to the quarterfinals of the French Open for the first time. He secured this feat by defeating US Open champion Daniil Medvedev in four sets: 4-6, 6-2, 6-1, 6-3.
De Minaur's victory marks the first time an Australian man has reached the last eight at Roland Garros since Lleyton Hewitt accomplished the feat in 2004. Notably, his sole other appearance in a grand slam quarterfinal was at the US Open in 2020.
During his on-court interview, De Minaur impressively conducted the entire conversation in French, expressing gratitude to the audience and acknowledging the unexpectedness of his quarterfinal berth at Roland Garros, given his past performances on clay.
Reflecting on his challenging match against Medvedev, De Minaur humorously struggled to find the right French words, ultimately summing up the difficulty with "C'est trop difficile" (It's too difficult), which garnered enthusiastic cheers from the crowd. Despite the language barrier, De Minaur appreciated the support and admitted that it's easier to have a casual conversation than to explain tennis tactics in French.
The 25-year-old from Sydney, known for his agility and tenacity, found it surreal to comprehend his come-from-behind victory, especially considering his previous limited success on clay courts. De Minaur attributed his success to the favorable playing conditions and expressed his astonishment at his remarkable journey in the tournament, having never progressed beyond the second round at Roland Garros before.
"This whole tournament has proven otherwise, right? It's been a complete shock to the system, to everything I ever believed in," remarked de Minaur, reflecting on his unexpected success.
For de Minaur, the victory was a testament to experience, honed through 27 grand slams, each contributing to his gradual improvement over the years. "So much of grand slam tennis in my opinion is just experience, because ultimately you can put in all the work in the world — and I believe I'm one to do so — but it's how you conserve energy, how you use your energy in these long, gruelling five-set matches, that there's a lot to learn from," he explained. "And it's not just the fact that you play a gruelling match, it's about how you then bounce back for the next round. That's probably what my body has now started to get used to."
Mentally prepared and calm, de Minaur approached the match against Medvedev with composure, anticipating the challenges ahead. Looking ahead, his next opponent is No.4 Alexander Zverev, who secured a hard-fought victory against No.13 Holger Rune.
The defeat for Medvedev was a rare occurrence, given his dominance in previous encounters with de Minaur. Despite an initial setback, de Minaur's relentless performance drew cheers from the crowd as he mounted a late comeback attempt, ultimately clinching a famous win.
Impressed by de Minaur's exceptional serving, Medvedev acknowledged his opponent's outstanding performance, noting, "He played probably the best match we played. I didn't see him play like this before."
Meanwhile, in another match, Novak Djokovic showcased his resilience, overcoming a challenging start to secure his record 370th win in a grand slam match against No.23 Francisco Cerundolo. Djokovic's victory also marked a milestone in his career, surpassing Roger Federer for the most match wins at major tournaments.
This hard-fought victory spanning over 4 1/2 hours has bolstered Djokovic's impressive record in fifth sets to 40-11 over his career.
Reflecting on the match, Djokovic admitted, "I was maybe three or four points away from losing this match."
Remarkably, this marks the second consecutive match for Djokovic where he found himself trailing 2-1 in sets, yet emerged victorious in five. In the third round, he navigated past No. 30 Lorenzo Musetti, a 22-year-old from Italy, in a match that concluded in the early hours of Sunday, marking the latest finish in French Open history.
Expressing his gratitude to the crowd, Djokovic acknowledged, "How did I find the way to win again? I don't know. The only explanation I have is you. Thank you."
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