"He literally hit those guys off the court": Alex de Minaur lauds Stan Wawrinka for Big Three duels ahead of retirement after Rotterdam win

Alex de Minaur paid tribute to Stan Wawrinka after easing past the three-time Grand Slam champion 6-4, 6-2 at the ABN AMRO Open in Rotterdam, describing the Swiss as “a special human being” both on and off the court.

The Australian, who now moves into an ABN AMRO Open quarter-final clash with Dutchman Botic van de Zandschulp, reflected on Wawrinka’s achievements in one of the toughest eras in tennis history.

“The level he was able to produce was nothing short of incredible,” de Minaur said to the media including TennisUpToDate. “To be able to win those Slams in the peak era of the Big Three, Big Four — and not because they were handed to him — he literally hit those guys off the court.

“I remember watching those matches and just laughing and smiling at the sheer power he was producing from both wings. He broke through when not a lot of people thought he was able to. And as I said, he’s been an incredible person off the court as well, so that makes him a special human being.”

While the scoreline suggested a comfortable afternoon for the Australian, he was quick to point out there is still room for improvement in his own game.

“There are plenty of areas to improve,” he admitted. “As I said, there are still unnecessary mistakes or unforced errors that aren’t normal, I would say. They’re not balls where I’m trying to do too much — they’re what I call ‘nothing balls’ that I’m missing, and I need to cut down on that.

“But overall, my serve is working well. It’s giving me chances to break. As the days go on, I’m feeling more and more comfortable. It’s slow conditions, tricky balls — it’s hard to adapt, so it’s not going to be perfect. But for me, it’s all about adapting.”

De Minaur also addressed the broader challenges of life on tour, after Stefanos Tsitsipas had spoken earlier about his own mental struggles. The 25-year-old emphasised perspective and the importance of a strong support system.

“We’ve all been on the tour for a while now,” he said. “You’ve got Stan, who’s been a veteran. Even me myself, I’ve been out here 10, 11 years already, so time kind of goes by quickly.

“You start to learn a lot of things. You start to understand what’s important — the priorities, the stresses, everything that comes with the sport. There are some good times, there are some bad times. You’ve just got to navigate your way through it.

“But probably the most important thing is having the right people around you who can help you or pick you up from those bad situations. And when you’re in those really good situations, they help make sure you don’t get too ahead of yourself.

Next up is a quarter-final against home favourite van de Zandschulp, a match de Minaur expects to be a stern test in the slow Rotterdam conditions.

“I think Botic is a very consistent player. He moves great around the court. He plays really well in these slow courts and conditions. And we’ve had a couple of battles already, so I know what to expect.

“I think it’s going to be very physical. I’m going to have to come up with some of my best tennis if I want to get through it. It’s going to be a challenge, which I’m looking forward to.

“Obviously, playing a Dutch guy in front of what should be a very good environment should be a lot of fun. I’m hoping I can step up tomorrow.”

And as for the likelihood of the Rotterdam crowd favouring the home player? “It’s only normal, right? Yes, it’s only normal. I’m looking forward to it, and hopefully I can get through the match.”