On Monday, seven-time champion Novak Djokovic had to tap into his immense wealth of experience to fight off a spirited Alex de Minaur to reach his 16th QF at the venue.
However, the victory was far from straightforward. In the initial stages of the match, Djokovic had no answer to de Minaur’s speed and tenacity, as the Aussie clinched the first set 6-1. The Serb slowly clawed his way back into the match, winning the next three sets 6-4, 6-4, 6-4 to book his spot in the last 8.
After the match, de Minaur shared his insights on how the 24-time Grand Slam winner was able to make a comeback.
Alex de Minaur Pinpoints Reasons Why Novak Djokovic Was Able to Comeback Against Him
In his post-match press conference, de Minaur was asked why he was unable to convert his many opportunities against Djokovic. “Do you think it was more a case of him lifting or maybe you not applying enough pressure?” a journalist asked the World No. 11.
“Yeah, I think it was probably a combination,” de Minaur responded. “He definitely, in the 4th set, lifted his level big time.”
In the fourth set, Aussie led by a break and was agonizingly close to securing a double break to force a decider. However, Djokovic held his serve to hold serve and broke back to restore parity. He broke once more before serving out the match to wrap up a memorable win.
Weighing in on his chances in the crucial 4th set, de Minaur said, “From 4-1, I had a chance to break and get the double break. And I think he started going after it a little bit more. And definitely raised his level, which completely changed the momentum.”
“I’m sitting here now and a little frustrated that I let, you know, that set slip away,” said de Minaur. “But, I mean, he’s been pretty good in big moments for a pretty long time.”
The Australian has been in excellent form throughout 2025 and dropped just one set en route to the fourth round at Wimbledon this year.
Djokovic After Securing a Tight Win Against De Minaur: ‘Still Trying To Process the Whole Match’
After securing a hard-fought win over his Australian rival, the 24-time Grand Slam singles champion admitted that he struggled with the conditions in the first set.
“I am still trying to process the whole match and what happened on court,” Djokovic said. “It wasn’t a great start for me, it was a great start for him. He broke my serve three times in the first set. Very windy, swirly conditions on the court. He was just managing better with the play from the back of the court.
“I didn’t have many solutions, but I managed to reset myself,” the Serb further remarked.
The former World No. 1 also praised the tenacity of his Australian opponent, “He is one of the quickest players we have on the Tour, and on grass where the ball bounces so low, it is extremely difficult to play someone like him if you are not feeling the ball really well. He exposes all your weaknesses and I was pleased to hang in tough in the right moments.”
The World No. 6 will next face first-time Grand Slam quarterfinalist Flavio Cobolli for a spot in the semifinals.
