Alex de Minaur downs world No 2 Carlos Alcaraz in pre-Australian Open exhibition

• Australian defeats Wimbledon champion 6-4, 5-7, 10-3
• De Minaur beat Novak Djokovic and Alexander Zverev last week

Alex de Minaur is urging to home fans to “bring the noise” after adding Spanish wunderkind Carlos Alcaraz to his growing list of prized pre-Australian Open victories.

A near-capacity crowd almost raised the roof at Rod Laver Arena while celebrating De Minaur’s electrifying exhibition win over the world No 2 and reigning Wimbledon champion on Wednesday night.

De Minaur will play explosive Canadian Milos Raonic when the first round of the season-opening grand slam gets under way on Sunday. The 10th seed avoided any potential showdowns with the world’s top four stars until at least the quarter-finals, but faces a tricky path to progress that far after Thursday’s draw.

While De Minaur won’t receive any rankings points for his 6-4, 5-7, 10-3 victory over Alcaraz in a thrilling match tiebreaker, Australia’s great Open hope will have gained immeasurable confidence after taking down another of tennis’s true giants.

“Yeah, look, I’m extremely happy,” De Minaur said after following up victories last week over 10-time Melbourne Park champion Novak Djokovic and world No 6 Alexander Zverev with a first-time defeat of Alcaraz, the Open’s second seed. “My level is in a good spot coming into Melbourne. I’ve had a good 2024. It’s been very good to me, so hopefully I can keep it going.”

De Minaur has now notched nine wins over top-10 rivals in the past 12 months and will head to the Open dreaming big. “I heard a pretty good quote: ‘How big would you dream if you knew you couldn’t fail?’ So that’s kind of been the motto,” the 24-year-old said. “I’m pushing myself every day and hopefully the sky’s the limit.”

The fan favourite and first Australian since his idol Lleyton Hewitt in 2006 to crack the world’s top 10 is hoping the home fans can energise him at the Open in the same way they helped his now-Davis Cup captain to the 2005 final in Melbourne.

“I mean, the louder, the better,” he said. “I wanna feel all the energy. I’m doing my best for you guys every time and, yeah, let’s bring the noise.”

Despite languishing at No 317 in the world as he returns from injury, Raonic poses a huge threat to the big home Australian Open hope as his first-round opponent. The former Wimbledon finalist and one-time world No 3 boasts one of the fiercest serves in tennis and is capable of throwing even the best players off their rhythm.

Should De Minaur survive the gruelling opener, he will play either Italian Matteo Arnaldi or Australian wildcard Adam Walton in round two. The 24-year-old’s first slated seeded opponent is Chile’s world No 18 Nicolas Jarry in the third round, with Russian fifth seed Andrey Rublev potentially awaiting in the last 16.

If De Minaur makes the quarter-finals of his home slam for the first time, after falling in the fourth round the past two years, he could meet Italian fourth seed Jannik Sinner. But he’s not projected to run into world No 1 and 10-time Melbourne Park champion Novak Djokovic until the semi-finals.

Wednesday night’s match may have been for charity but the fist-pumping, cursing and intensity from the combatants suggested neither of the two fierce competitors wanted to lose.

Playing in his first match of the summer, Alcaraz could have been forgiven for calling an early night after trailing by a set and 4-1. Instead he raised his game to break De Minaur twice to snatch the second set and force the match tiebreaker.

De Minaur, too, could have easily rolled over after suffering the disappointment of blowing a second-set match point. Instead, he struck back to seal victory with the point of the match with a curling top-spin lob that Alcaraz could barely get a touch to.

Despite the defeat, 20-year-old Alcaraz said the exhibition outing offered him the perfect platform to launch his Open assault on Sunday. “There’s not a better way to, let’s say, warm up or get ready than playing against Alex in the this match,” he said. “I was on course, so I think I’m getting ready.”

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