The promise of Alex De Minaur

For the fourth consecutive season, Alex De Miñaur has reached the second week of the Australian Open, confirming that he has learned to handle the pressure of playing at home and being the top local favorite. Now the question is: will he manage to reach the quarterfinals for the first time? After coming back from a tough match against Cerúndolo, his path now crosses with Michelsen, although the key seems to still lie in his racket. Or rather, in his mind. In his press conference after advancing to the round of 16, Alex revealed what his philosophy is every time he steps out to compete, the promise he makes to himself every day from the moment he steps onto the court.

Improving throughout the match

"Definitely, losing that first set was not pretty, but I found a way to come back. That's all that matters, that's all I need to do in these kinds of moments, find a way to get through the first week. It was by no means a pleasant moment; I didn't feel comfortable out there, things weren't really going my way. So, I'm glad I crossed that line. That volley at the end of the second set made the difference, absolutely."

A constant promise

"Before walking onto the court, I always make the same pact with myself, a promise that I like to set: I'm going to compete until the last point no matter what. Look, if I had to be two sets down, my attitude wouldn't change, neither would my fight or my belief. I was going to compete until the end, no matter what. Of course, my life became easier by coming back from that set instead of being two sets down, that would have required a much more physical battle. Winning that set made me see that the finish line was much closer."

The pressure of playing at home

"I feel like I learned a lot. Looking back, I think this is probably the first match I've played in the Australian Open where I really didn't feel comfortable. Suddenly, I felt a bit of pressure playing, I didn't know what to do. I simply told myself that I had to stay out there and compete. In a way, deep down, I always knew that someday I would have to experience this, a day where nerves and pressure were there, a sort of expectation. Today it happened, and I admit that I'd rather win ugly than lose beautifully, right? Now I have to work to make sure that the next day I will step up my game."

Managing the heat of the day session

"There's no better feeling than playing in front of a full crowd, even when you play in the day session and you're out there for four hours, there's a lot of love in the stands, and that also plays its part. Obviously, the heat is a very important factor; during most of the match, people are there suffering under the sun, but they supported me from the first point to the last, which is very special. Today was a day session, but I was born and raised under the Australian sun; I was ready to play three, four, or five sets. I felt good physically, I know all the work I've put in; that gave me confidence to go out and keep competing until the end."

Alex Michelsen in the fourth round

"I've played against Michelsen twice, one win each, one on clay and the other on hard court. He's been playing well; now he has become a very dangerous opponent with a lot of confidence, he'll surely be ready for the battle. He will play without fear, so I will do everything to make the match difficult for him."

Djokovic's compliments towards him

"When you hear a compliment coming from someone like Novak, who is almost perfect in all aspects of the game, it's obviously very nice to hear. It's always appreciated, at the end of the day, we work very hard with our teams behind the scenes. It's always good when other players in the locker room take notice; it means you're doing things right, it's a great feeling. In the past, in matches like today's, I probably wouldn't have found a way to turn it around, it was tough losing that first set that seemed to be within my grasp. This version of myself is exactly that: even if I don't have my best day, I will compete until the end; I will continue to make it very tough for whoever is in front of me. I build on that, so I hope big things come and better moments in the next round."

This is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, La promesa de Alex De Minaur