Prior to the Australian Open, Alex de Minaur defeated Carlos Alcaraz in a charity match

In a charity match arranged ahead of the Australian Open, world No. 2 Carlos Alcaraz was defeated by superstar Australian tennis player Alex de Minaur, culminating an amazing career ascent in the sport. In addition to capping an incredible run of top-10 performances, De Minaur’s victory at Rod Laver Arena marked his first-ever victory—albeit an unauthorized one—over the illustrious Spanish player.

The event supported a number of philanthropic organizations, most notably the Australian Tennis Foundation, which funds organizations that assist children. In the end, De Minaur won 6-4, 5-7, and (10-3). The charity wants to have taught 5,000 impoverished children how to play tennis by 2024. With a performance described as “cool-headed” and “blistering,” De Minaur wowed the sold-out audience at the iconic Melbourne stadium by showcasing his lightning-fast reflexes and forceful returns.

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De Minaur will be quite proud of this victory because he recently rose to a career-high World No. 10 and into the Top 10 in the ATP Rankings. His remarkable achievements on the court since July 2006 are evidence of his tenacity and diligence; he became the first Australian to be placed in the Top 10 since Lleyton Hewitt.

A high quality tune-up for two of the game's brightest young talents.@alexdeminaur defeats @carlosalcaraz 6-4 5-7 [10-3] in their exhibition match-up.

More of this please and thank-you!#AusOpen • #AO2024 pic.twitter.com/RfGj7RXSAR

— #AusOpen (@AustralianOpen) January 10, 2024

In the United Cup quarterfinals, the now 24-year-old De Minaur defeated opponents with big-profile names like Taylor Fritz, Novak Djokovic, and Alexander Zverev, capping an amazing start to the year. When Melbourne Park plays host to the Australian Open from January 14–28, de Minaur feels optimistic about his chances of making a deep run in his home Grand Slam event, given his past success.

Despite the setback, Carlos Alcaraz is still one of the tour’s most threatening opponents. It is expected that Alcaraz, who is well-known in the tennis community and has earned over $16 million in career earnings, will continue to make major contributions to the industry. He has another charity match against Casper Ruud set before the Australian Open starts. Superstars across the board, including Naomi Osaka and Novak Djokovic, will be competing.