Alex de Minaur makes stunning admission after crashing out of US Open in quarter finals

Australian tennis star Alex de Minaur may have left fans feeling unsatisfied after being knocked out in the quarter-finals of the US Open, but he has now revealed just how close he came to being eliminated from the tournament before it even started.

Injury ended De Minaur’s dream of winning a Grand Slam once again on Wednesday, as he lost the quarter-finals 6-3 7-5 6-2 to the inspired Englishman Jack Draper.

His range of motion was clearly compromised and Australia’s last hope was wrecked in a sea of ​​forehand errors as the first major tournament semi-final was played at Arthur Ashe Stadium.

A recurring hip injury that had sidelined the world number 10 since Wimbledon ultimately robbed De Minaur of any realistic chance of victory.

Now he has revealed on social media that he fears the persistent injuries plaguing him in 2024 could see him nearly ruled out of the US Open – and possibly the entire season.

“Few people know exactly what I have been through these past eight weeks,” he wrote.

“A lot of doubts, uncertainty and awkward moments where I didn’t know if I would be able to play here in NYC, let alone the rest of the season.

‘Thanks to the real one.’

This comes as one of tennis’ most respected strategists begs Alex de Minaur to adjust his flat forehand so he can take the next step towards a Grand Slam.

Australian coach and Texas analyst Craig O’Shannessy, who helped Novak Djokovic break out of his slump to win four Grand Slam titles, doubts De Minaur can win majors unless he turns his forehand vulnerability into a strength.

By becoming the first Australian since Lleyton Hewitt 20 years ago to reach three consecutive Grand Slam quarter-finals, each time on different surfaces, De Minaur has proven he has the all-round skills to go deep in the majors.

But O’Shannessy noted that the 25-year-old made 35 forehand errors in his US Open quarter-final loss to Jack Draper, many of which ended in the net, and says the world No. 10 needs to improve his error rate. “The two biggest weapons in the game today are the serve and the forehand,” O’Shannessy told AAP.

‘Alex doesn’t have the speed of the serve to pass opponents like Sasha Zverev has, or even (Carlos) Alcaraz, with a big serve that goes through the court.

‘So you have to rely on other strengths in your game and Alex’s forehand was always an area that was open to attack.’

Australian coach and analyst Craig O’Shannessy believes he can fix De Minaur’s forehand

De Minaur has shown strong form in 2024 but has been frustrated for most of the year with injuries hampering his progress

O’Shannessy has also worked with several other players, including rising Australian star Alexei Popyrin and German Jan-Lennard Struff. He said he always devised a plan for his pupils to exploit De Minaur’s forehand.

“Because Alex drops the left hand too early and hits it too flat,” he said.

‘So the mistakes pile up and make it difficult for him to score the ball.

‘I know he got injured against Draper, but I’ve seen the same thing too many times.

‘So I believe that towards the end of the year and in the off-season Alex needs to improve his forehand technique. That means keeping his left hand on the neck of the racket longer, which allows him to rotate his hips and shoulders better.

‘That automatically ensures that he has a rounder stroke, can get under the ball better, can give more shape to the ball and gets the net more out of the game.’

When asked whether Minaur could win a Grand Slam with his current technique, O’Shannessy replied unequivocally: ‘Well, he hasn’t done that yet’.

“So it’s not even an opinion. We just have to look at what the forehand has done.”

The Australian star admitted he was close to pulling out of the US Open before the tournament started

O’Shannessy is convinced that although De Minaur is right-handed, he can also win Grand Slam titles with his left hand.

‘He’s so good in other areas that he just needs a little tweak, not a complete overhaul. Because if you hold the left hand longer and keep the racket up longer, you automatically get a rounder swing and reduce the number of errors.

‘His problem is that he can’t get the forehand errors out of the net.’

De Minaur’s performance in the last eight in New York, his first tournament since suffering a hip injury at Wimbledon, has significantly improved his chances of qualifying for the season-ending eight-team championship.

He is currently eighth in the Race to Turin and hopes to consolidate his position during the Asian tour.

De Minaur will mainly focus on recovering from his hip problem that resurfaced in Flushing Meadows.

The Australian No. 1 said after his loss to Draper that he was unsure if he would be fit for next week’s Davis Cup qualifying rounds in Spain.