Alex de Minaur stunned by the tennis courts in Shanghai with conditions he's never seen on the ATP Tour before

Alex de Minaur is in a strong run of form during the Asian swing and has now booked his place in the third round of the Shanghai Masters.

In his opening match at the tournament, the Australian defeated Camilo Ugo Carabelli in straight sets, 6-4, 6-2.

After contributing eight points to Team World’s triumph at the Laver Cup, de Minaur reached the semifinals of the China Open in Beijing and is now looking to clinch a maiden ATP Masters 1000 title.

The world number seven has struggled to make deep runs in Shanghai over the years, and he says the change in conditions has made it even harder for him this year.

Alex de Minaur reacts to the conditions at the Shanghai Masters

“The conditions were tough out there,” said de Minaur in his post-match press conference.

“Very slow. Very different from what we’ve been playing on. It’s never easy in those circumstances, and matches like that are always dangerous.

“I’m happy with how I handled it and that I managed to get through a good match in really challenging conditions.

“It honestly feels like the slowest conditions I’ve played on tour. The balls get huge after just a couple of games, and the court speed is extremely slow.

“It’s also much slower than the outside courts, which was a bit of a shock at first. But there’s nothing you can really do except adapt and deal with it. I’m glad I was able to find a way to win.”

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Alex de Minaur says he is ‘sweating through his shoes’ in Shanghai

De Minaur says the conditions in Shanghai are comparable to the Washington Open during the summer, where he went on to clinch the title.

“It’s very similar,” he said. “I’ve actually taken the same approach I did in Washington.

“I’m bringing loads of clothes to change into and four pairs of shoes, because this is one of the few places where I sweat through my shoes and end up making puddles on the court, which doesn’t usually happen to me.

“It happened in Washington, and now it’s happening here. The key is just being prepared for these types of conditions: bringing plenty of gear, watching what you eat, staying on top of hydration, and making sure recovery is a priority.”

In the next round, de Minaur will face Kamil Majchrzak, whom he last played at the Australian Open in 2022.

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