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"Playing to win": Demon sets his eyes on 50-year first
Nicholas Quinlan • January 19th, 2026 10:29 pm
Alex de Minaur has declared his intention to become the first Australian male since Mark Edmondson in 1976 to win the Australian Open.
The World No. 6 got off to a dream start at Melbourne Park, having won his first round match against Mackenzie McDonald in straight sets (6-2, 6-2, 6-3) out on Rod Laver Arena.
His win came within an hour and 42 minutes, with the Australian No. 1 using his serving game to full effect with the American being unable to break.
He was also helped by McDonald, who made a whopping 42 unforced errors.
With a strong result like that, it will give the Demon plenty of confidence that he is capable of equalling or bettering his quarter-final appearance from last year.
But the 26-year-old has his eyes set on trying to win the Norman Brookes Challenge Cup.
“I've gotten to a stage where I'm not just another number in this draw, right?” De Minaur said in his post-match press conference.
“I'm playing to win it and be one of those guys in contention. So, ultimately, that's the goal, right?
“I'm going to do my best, and it's not about being satisfied if I make a second week, if I make a quarterfinals, a semis.
“There is no real kind of stage. It's just going to be having that mindset of, okay, I'm going for this, and it's going to take one step at a time.
“But I'm not just making up the numbers now. It's about me taking that next step and believing in my abilities, and that's going to be the only thing that's going to allow me to ultimately take that next step.”
De Minaur will now face Serbian Hamad Medjedovic in the Second Round.
