Alex de Minaur recorded arguably the biggest and most astonishing win of his career by stunning Novak Djokovic in straight sets 6-4, 6-4 at the United Cup in Perth on Wednesday.
Minaur’s heroics gave Australia a 1-0 lead over Serbia in their quarter-final match and Ajla Tomljanovic can now claim the tie for the hosts by beating Natalija Stevanovic in the women’s single match.
De Minaur broke Djokovic’s whopping 43-match winning streak in Australia and he couldn’t be more happy.
"It's extra special,” de Minaur said of the win. “Novak is an unbelievable competitor and what he’s done for the sport is pretty special. It feels surreal, amazing and I’m very happy to do it here in Perth and Australia.
“When you go up against Novak you have to go out and enjoy it and back yourself and no matter what keep fighting until the end. Today was my day and I’m happy that I was able to get the win.
“I’m here to prove a lot of people wrong and to try and get better. Ultimately I won’t be the biggest or the strongest. I will show I have variety in my game and I’m glad I could bring this level today.”
It was Djokovic’s first loss in Australia since 2018 when he lost to Hyeon Chung at the 2018 Australian Open.
De Minaur was defeated by Djokovic 6-2. 6-1 and 6-2 in the fourth round of the Australian Open 2023 but that was not the case today.
Djokovic entered the match with a wrist injury he suffered during Tuesday’s encounter with Jiri Lehecka which he eventually won 6-1 6-7(3) 6-1 after losing the second set.
It is worth mentioning that Djokovic dominated the 2023 season as he appeared in the final of all four Grand Slams Djokovic, and won three of them — Australian Open, French Open, and US Open — while he was handed a defeat by Carlos Alcaraz at Wimbledon.
After winning the ATP Finals win win over Jannik Sinner in straight sets in the final, Djokovic confirmed that he has no intention to stop and is now aiming for a “Golden Slam” — winning all major titles and a gold medal in the Olympics — for the next year.
