Alex de Minaur, the Australian No. 1 and world No. 6, suffered a disappointing fourth-round defeat at Wimbledon on a sweltering day, losing to Italy's Flavio Cobolli 5-7, 6-7 (4-7), 6-3. The match, played on No. 1 Court, saw de Minaur fail to capitalize on a 5-2 lead in the second set and two break advantages in the third, ultimately falling to the 24-year-old Italian.
Missed opportunities and a misfiring serve
De Minaur entered the match with high hopes, having spent four fewer hours on court in the first week than Cobolli (six-and-a-half hours compared to ten-and-a-half). However, his first serve misfired, and he appeared timid against Cobolli's vibrant attacking play. The Australian had chances to seize control but could not convert. In the first set, both players struggled with first serves landing below 50%, but de Minaur failed to take advantage of break-point opportunities at 5-5, eventually losing the set after a 39-shot rally—the longest of the tournament—that Cobolli won.
Second-set collapse
The second set mirrored de Minaur's frustrations. He broke Cobolli to lead 5-2, but then lost 11 consecutive points, allowing Cobolli to level the set. The tie-break proved decisive: de Minaur fell behind early, briefly recovered to 3-3, but then lost his serve twice as the set slipped away. His fiancee Katie Boulter watched from the stands, wearing an England shirt in tribute to the national football team's World Cup victory over Mexico.
Third-set fightback falls short
De Minaur broke immediately in the third set, but Cobolli broke back. The Australian broke again, only to lose his serve once more. At 3-2, de Minaur saved three break points but conceded on the fourth with a forehand error. From there, Cobolli won 12 of the last 14 points, sealing the match. De Minaur's defeat ended Australia's singles challenge at Wimbledon for another year.
Context and implications
The path to the semi-finals had opened for de Minaur, with a wild card next up in the quarter-finals—either Briton Arthur Fery or veteran Grigor Dimitrov—and both Jannik Sinner and Novak Djokovic in the other half of the draw. However, de Minaur's mental fragility in big moments was evident. According to observers, he seems to believe he is forever destined to fade as the business end of a grand slam arrives. Cobolli, buoyed by a recent run to the French Open final, appeared mentally fresher and more confident.
