Australian tennis star Alex de Minaur may have left fans wanting more after crashing out in the quarter-finals of the US Open, but he has now revealed how close he came to pulling out of the tournament before it even began.
De Minaur’s Grand Slam dreams were once again cruelly cut short by injury in a 6-3 7-5 6-2 quarter-final defeat by inspired Englishman Jack Draper on Wednesday.
His movement clearly compromised, Australia’s last great hope floundered in a sea of forehand errors as their first major semi-final approached Arthur Ashe Stadium.
A flare-up of the hip injury that had sidelined the world No. 10 since Wimbledon ultimately robbed De Minaur of any realistic chance of victory.
He has now revealed on social media that he feared the nagging injuries that have plagued him in 2024 were close to ruling him out of the US Open and potentially the season.
“Very few people know exactly what I’ve been through these past eight weeks,” she posted.
‘A lot of doubts, uncertainty and uncomfortable moments where I didn’t know if I would be able to play here in New York again, let alone the rest of the season.
“Thanks to the authentic ones.”
Australian tennis star Alex de Minaur crashed out of US Open quarter-finals
This comes as one of tennis’ most respected strategists implores Alex de Minaur to adjust his flat forehand to take the next step towards a Grand Slam.
Texas-based Australian coach and analyst Craig O’Shannessy, who helped Novak Djokovic emerge from his mid-career crisis and win four Grand Slam titles, doubts De Minaur can win major tournaments unless he turns his forehand vulnerability into a strength.
By becoming the first Australian since Lleyton Hewitt 20 years ago to reach three consecutive Grand Slam quarter-finals, all on different surfaces, de Minaur has shown he has the all-round game to go deep at majors.
But O’Shannessy highlighted how the 25-year-old made 35 forehand errors in his US Open quarter-final defeat to Jack Draper, many of them into the net, and says the world No 10 needs to improve his error margin. “The two most important weapons in today’s game are the serve and the forehand,” O’Shannessy told AAP.
‘Alex doesn’t have the speed on his serve to get through opponents like Sasha Zverev or even (Carlos) Alcaraz, who have a big serve that goes all the way across the court.
“So you have to rely on other strengths in your game and Alex’s forehand has always been an open area to attack.”
Australian coach and analyst Craig O’Shannessy believes he can fix De Minaur’s forehand
De Minaur has shown great form in 2024 but has been hampered by injuries for much of the year which have hampered his progress.
O’Shannessy has also worked with several other players, including Australian rising star Alexei Popyrin and Germany’s Jan-Lennard Struff, and said he always designed game plans for his players to target De Minaur’s forehand.
“Because Alex brings his left hand down too early and hits it too flat,” he said.
‘So the net errors pile up and it becomes difficult for him to hit the line.
‘I know he got hurt against Draper, but I’ve seen the exact same thing too often.
‘That’s why I think that towards the end of the year and in the off-season, Alex should improve his forehand technique, which would mean keeping his left hand on the neck of the racket for longer, which will naturally rotate his hips and shoulders better.
‘That will automatically create a rounder swing, help you get under the ball, create more shape on the ball and get the net further out of play.’
Asked if De Minaur could win a Grand Slam with her current technique, O’Shannessy said unequivocally: “Well, she hasn’t yet.”
“So it’s not even an opinion. We just have to look at what the right-wing coup has produced.”
The Australian star admitted he came close to pulling out of the US Open before it even started.
O’Shannessy is convinced that, although De Minaur is a right-handed player, his left hand can bring him big titles.
‘It’s so good in other areas that it just needs an adjustment, not an overhaul, because once you keep your left hand up longer and the racquet up longer, that will naturally create a rounder swing and reduce your error count.
‘His problem is getting right-footed errors out of the net.’
De Minaur’s quarter-final run in New York, his first tournament since suffering a hip injury at Wimbledon, has significantly improved his chances of qualifying for the season-ending eight-man elite championship.
He currently occupies eighth position in the Race to Turin and will look to consolidate his position during the Asian tour.
De Minaur’s most immediate concern will be recovering from the hip problem that recurred at Flushing Meadows.
The Australian number one said after his defeat to Draper that he was unsure if he would be fit for next week’s Davis Cup qualifying in Spain.
