Pat Rafter’s warning to Alex de Minaur amid Lleyton Hewitt details behind the campaign

Australian tennis legend Pat Rafter has warned Alex de Minaur on the threat American Alex Michelsen poses at the Australian Open as the 25-year-old looks to emulate a Lleyton Hewitt feat. De Minaur was in stellar form heading into his round three clash before battling past Fransisco Cerundolo in four sets after a wayward service battle.

Seed no. 8 acknowledged his struggles in the clash, but throughout the contest he showed signs of finding his electric feet again after showing his speedy skills around the pitch. De Minaur is the last remaining Aussie in the men’s and women’s singles draws and the nation is rallying behind the grand slam hopeful.

De Minaur hopes to become the first Australian male to win the Australian Open since Mark Edmondson in 1976. The former world no. 1 and Australian tennis great Rafter, however, has warned de Minaur not to take his next opponent lightly.

De Minaur will face young American Michelsen in the fourth round as he looks to reach his first ever Australian Open quarter-final. The Australian is also looking to become the first Australian man to reach the quarter-finals of four straight grand slams since Hewitt in 2005.

And Rafter has claimed de Minaur needs to be wary of Michelsen’s powerful groundstrokes when he plays at Rod Laver Arena. “I’m backing him against Michelsen,” Rafter said ahead of the round of 16.

“I know Michelson has a really big game. Can he hold it together against someone like Alex? I think it’s a bad match-up for Michelsen personally. But this guy has a really big game and if he can keep it together, he can cause a lot of destruction, I think Michelsen.’

Alex de Minaur cautious with Alex Michelsen’s game

De Minaur is used to Michelsen’s game having played the American twice last year. De Minaur was too strong for Michelsen at Roland Garros after dismantling the 20-year-old on a slow clay court. However, there were only other meetings on hard court, and Michelsen defeated de Minaur at Los Cabos.

“He’s been playing really well. He’s a dangerous opponent with a lot of confidence now. He’s taken some big scalps this week so I’m ready for a fight,” de Minaur said. “He’s going to go out there with no fear. I’m going to do my best to make it difficult for him.”

Either way, de Minaur will be looking to pick up a win against the American after hinting in his final post-match press conference that he was finding his feet again after a disrupted 2024 season. De Minaur is back for the 2025 season, better and stronger after overcoming a brutal hip injury that curtailed his US Open campaign.

RELATED:

Alex de Minaur learns from round three matches

De Minaur admitted he was not at his best after fighting past Cerundolo in the third round. Cerundolo took the first set but began to struggle physically in the third.

The Aussie displayed his trademark determination to get on top of his opponent and beat his rival into submission. And de Minaur admitted he felt it was a good moment for him at Melbourne Park.

“I reckon this is probably the first match I’ve played here in Oz where, like today, I’ve felt like I didn’t feel comfortable,” he told reporters after his third-round victory.

“I suddenly felt a little bit of pressure when I was playing. I didn’t know what to do. I just told myself to go out there and compete. Part of me knew that at some point there was always going to be a fight , where the pressure would be there and the nerves would be there as well as the anticipation would be there… I just told myself to go out there, compete Geez, I’d rather win ugly any day than lose beautifully, right ?In the end, I lived to fight another day My next I will make sure to bring a better level.

If De Minaur wins and reaches his first ever Australian Open quarter-final, he will likely face Jannik Sinner, no. 1. The Aussie has failed to defeat the Italian and is 0-9 against the reigning Australian Open champion.