BRETT Phillips thinks that Alex De Minaur is capable of pushing past the quarter finals stage of a Grand Slam as he prepares for the summer of Tennis on home soil.<\/p>\n
2025 has been a strong year for the Demon, who has solidified the progress that he made in 2024.<\/p>\n
Despite winning only one ATP title during the calendar year, the Australian No. 1 won 56 matches, which was the third most on the tour.<\/p>\n
This included securing his first win in the ATP Finals, which saw him make the semi-finals alongside quarter-final appearances in the Australian and US Open.<\/p>\n
But the World No. 7 has had some struggles throughout the year against his fellow top 10 opponents and, in particular, Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz.<\/p>\n
During the season, he only managed to win two of his 13 matches against the top 10, with Alcaraz and Sinner making up seven of those losses.<\/p>\n
And with this in mind, De Minaur declared that he wants to become more of a \u201cdisruptor\u201d when it comes to playing these top players.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ve played some very close matches over the years,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
“You\u2019ve got to work on your game, find new weapons, for me it\u2019s finding different ways to hurt these players right, so trying to be ready to take more risks and be a little bit more of a disruptor.\u201d<\/p>\n
This would be a sentiment shared by Phillips, who noted that while De Minaur isn\u2019t the only player to struggle against the pair.<\/p>\n
But he thinks that with some little improvements, he could break through into the final four of a major for the first time in his professional career.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe field is finding it very hard to beat these two, particularly in the majors,\u201d he told SEN Afternoons.<\/p>\n
\u201cBut Alex is leaving no stone unturned. He is trying to find the edge.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe know what he brings. Can he just elevate a little bit more?<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd that is all encompassing, really. It\u2019s the serve, the power off the ground, it\u2019s all the little bits technically.<\/p>\n
\u201cBut look, he\u2019s a great competitor, and you\u2019re inside the top 10 for a reason.<\/p>\n
“He\u2019s got enormous skill out on the court, and we\u2019re hoping that 2026 is a year where he can, even if it doesn\u2019t happen in Melbourne, but he can least get to that semi-final stage of a major, which is not easy.\u201d<\/p>\n