{"id":528865,"date":"2026-07-07T03:04:15","date_gmt":"2026-07-07T03:04:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/528865\/"},"modified":"2026-07-07T03:04:15","modified_gmt":"2026-07-07T03:04:15","slug":"wimbledon-recap-day-8-alex-de-minaur-and-the-devastation-that-comes-with-elite-sport","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/528865\/","title":{"rendered":"Wimbledon recap Day 8: Alex de Minaur and the devastation that comes with elite sport"},"content":{"rendered":"

Follow The Athletic\u2019s Wimbledon coverage<\/a><\/p>\n

Welcome to the Wimbledon briefing, where The Athletic explains the stories behind the stories on each day of the tournament.<\/p>\n

On Day 8, we have the devastation and joy of elite sport, a finalist finding her way again and a rising Czech talent keeping it real.<\/p>\n

How did a top-five player express the devastation of elite sport?<\/p>\n

When the fourth round of a Grand Slam<\/a> rolls around and there have been upsets in the first week, there can be equal parts joy and agony. Players achieving dreams they thought might never be realized scarcely know how to keep their feet on the ground. Top players who see a window of opportunity and then can\u2019t squeeze through it can be left disconsolate.<\/p>\n

At the French Open, it was Canada\u2019s F\u00e9lix Auger-Aliassime, the No. 3 seed at Wimbledon<\/a>, who was left disconsolate after a loss to Flavio Cobolli, the No. 9 seed here from Italy.<\/p>\n

Come Monday, it was Alex de Minaur, the No. 5 seed from Australia, who lost to Cobolli, then expressed the devastation of elite sport. Auger-Aliassime said he was not the player he wanted to be in Paris. In London, de Minaur went a few fathoms deeper.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think one of us went out to win the match, and the other went out not to lose the match,\u201d de Minaur said in his news conference after a 7-5, 7-6(4), 6-3 loss. \u201cI think it\u2019s pretty self-explanatory who was who.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt breaks me inside. That\u2019s the reality of it. Many, many hours gets put into my craft, and countless years, to kind of have moments like these. To not step up to the plate, it\u2019s truly gut-wrenching. Yeah, it\u2019s very tough.\u201d<\/p>\n

Why do players wear white at Wimbledon?<\/p>\n

Ava Wallace and Madison Eades<\/p>\n

He did not stop there. When asked about some of his close-run defeats, especially at Grand Slams, he said that \u201csadly, it feels like they just keep on coming.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou go through moments in your career, times where you feel that there\u2019s, you know, opportunities to be taken, to take the next step, to make it to the next level, to become an even better version of yourself. And to fall short constantly, you start doubting yourself. You start doubting whether you\u2019re going to be able to break through and kind of take it to the next step.\u201d<\/p>\n

At a quick glance, it could have been hard to figure out who was who during Monday\u2019s fourth-round match between de Minaur and Cobolli.<\/p>\n

They\u2019re about the same height, with similar builds. They have the same floppy brown hair. It\u2019s Wimbledon, so everyone\u2019s in all-white.<\/p>\n

But a more considered look revealed one player raised to play one kind of tennis who might spend the rest of his career playing catch-up, and another who has come of age in the first-strike era.<\/p>\n

De Minaur, 27, is a speedy, grinding player who lives for trying to work points around in his favor. Cobolli is 24 but emerged as a professional after Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner had already shown the tennis world a new way.<\/p>\n

De Minaur appears to be undergoing the realization that many 1990s ATP players have had to undergo these past couple of years. Their version of tennis does not cut it at the top any longer. The Australian can not shear winners through the court, and though his first serve is potent, his in percentage is often too low to allow him to profit from it.<\/p>\n

He said he would take some time and go again. That\u2019s what tennis does. \u2014 Matt Futterman<\/p>\n

How did a wild card create history \u2014 and joy?<\/p>\n

Arthur F\u00e9ry dropped his racket, turned to his box shaking his head and mouthed, \u201cWhat the f\u2014?\u201d<\/p>\n

The 23-year-old Wimbledon wild card could not believe what was happening. He will surely wake up from this dream on Centre Court, where Roger Federer watched him battle back from two sets down to beat three-time Grand Slam semifinalist and fellow wild card Grigor Dimitrov 5-7, 6-3, 6-4, 4-6, 7-6 (7).<\/p>\n

F\u00e9ry sent a message to his team, saying he felt tight when he realized before the match that Federer was in the Royal Box. There were questions about how the world No. 114, who played his previous two matches on Court 18, would cope with the increased pressure and attention that comes with playing on the iconic show court with the hopes of a British crowd on his shoulders.<\/p>\n

If there were any nerves, however, he did not reveal them, settling into his rhythm quickly against a far more experienced opponent.<\/p>\n

Although Dimitrov hit 72 winners to F\u00e9ry\u2019s 36 and won 81 percent of his first-serve points, F\u00e9ry never went away, forcing the Bulgarian to play one more shot and consequently make unforced errors.<\/p>\n

It is not in the 23-year-old\u2019s nature to interact with the crowd too much, conscious that expending too much energy might negatively affect his tennis. But at 5-4 up in the fifth set, the fatigued F\u00e9ry gestured to the crowd, hoping to inject some life into his weary muscles while also putting pressure on Dimitrov, who had to serve to stay in the match.<\/p>\n

For F\u00e9ry\u2019s second consecutive five-set match decided by a 10-point tiebreak, he managed the occasion very well.<\/p>\n

\"Arthur<\/p>\n

\n Arthur F\u00e9ry made British tennis history on Centre Court. (Glyn Kirk \/ AFP via Getty Images)<\/p>\n

No one would have predicted the world No. 114 would be flying the flag for the home nation in front of 14,979 fans, least of all himself. On the eve of the tournament, British players were dropping like flies, as Emma Raducanu<\/a> and Jack Draper<\/a> withdrew with injuries. By the second round, just four of the 19 British men\u2019s and women\u2019s players remained. By the third round, F\u00e9ry was the only Brit left standing.<\/p>\n

The irony is that in another world, he might have chosen to represent France instead. Born in Paris to Olivia, a former French professional tennis player, and Lo\u00efc, the FC Lorient president, F\u00e9ry grew up, from a young age, a stone\u2019s throw from the All England Lawn Tennis Club grounds. He came through England\u2019s tennis system but attended Stanford University in California before attacking the professional circuit, and he now has a French and Dutch coach.<\/p>\n

\u201cPersonally, I feel very English, and I\u2019ve felt that way for a while now,\u201d he said in French during his news conference. \u201cIt\u2019s clear that I have strong ties to France \u2014 family and so on. It makes me happy, too, that the French see me as one of their own.\u201d<\/p>\n

Next up is French Open finalist and No. 9 seed Flavio Cobolli, whom F\u00e9ry beat at the Australian Open this year, though the 24-year-old Italian was wrestling with an upset stomach that day.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m really going to cherish it (Monday\u2019s victory) for the rest of my life,\u201d the first British wild card, man or woman, to reach the quarterfinals at a Grand Slam in the Open era said.<\/p>\n

\u201cWho knows?\u201d he continued. \u201cThat might be the first and last time. Hopefully not.\u201d \u2014 Charlotte Harpur<\/p>\n

How did a Wimbledon finalist get back to herself on Centre Court?<\/p>\n

For Jasmine Paolini<\/a>, it took the feeling of having nothing to lose to rediscover her tennis mojo.<\/p>\n

After a rough start to the year, Paolini came into Wimbledon<\/a> ranked No. 17, a steep fall from her regular spot in the world\u2019s top 10 since reaching the French Open and Wimbledon finals in 2024.<\/p>\n

A nagging foot injury hasn\u2019t helped, and Paolini played only one grass-court match \u2014 a first-round defeat at the Eastbourne Open in England to Germany\u2019s Tatjana Maria \u2014 before heading to Wimbledon.<\/p>\n

A couple of weeks on from that defeat, Paolini finds herself in a quarterfinal at the All England Club, her first at a Grand Slam since Wimbledon 2024. In Monday\u2019s fourth-round match, she beat Alexandra Eala<\/a>, the No. 29 seed who knocked out Iga \u015awi\u0105tek<\/a> in the previous round, with an impressive display of controlled aggressiveness. Her forehand in particular hit the heights of that 2024 summer, and she showcased the net skills that have made her a Grand Slam and Olympic champion in doubles.<\/p>\n

\"Jasmine<\/p>\n

\n Jasmine Paolini has found her form again at Wimbledon. (Adrian Dennis \/ AFP via Getty Images)<\/p>\n

It was a far cry from the start of Wimbledon, when Paolini lost the opening set of her first-round match against America\u2019s Robin Montgomery 6-0. \u201cI was there trying to stay positive,\u201d Paolini said in a news conference Monday of how she felt at the time. \u201cI was repeating to myself, \u2018OK, (it) can only go better than this.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n

Such a joyful player when things are going well, Paolini has seemed to lose some of that enthusiasm in 2026. The last few matches here have brought it back. \u201cI\u2019m enjoying playing tennis,\u201d she said Monday. \u201cOf course, it\u2019s easier when you play well. But I think it\u2019s important to try to keep this mindset, even when things are tougher.\u201d<\/p>\n

Things could get tougher as soon as Wednesday, when Paolini takes on the No. 12 seed, Marta Kostyuk, a fast-improving Ukrainian who\u2019s on a run of 20 wins from her last 21 matches.<\/p>\n

But whatever happens, Paolini has rediscovered some of the joy that defines her tennis when she\u2019s at her best. \u2014 Charlie Eccleshare<\/p>\n

How did a rising Czech talent with plenty of experience keep it rolling?<\/p>\n

To anyone who predicted Linda Noskov\u00e1<\/a> would be the highest seed remaining in the bottom half of the women\u2019s quarterfinals, congratulations.<\/p>\n

Noskov\u00e1 is one of the newer entrants into the WTA Tour top 10, but the No. 9 seed is following in the grand tradition of Czech excellence on grass. She has ridden a pair of hard-fought wins at the Berlin Tennis Open, where she captured the singles and doubles titles ahead of Wimbledon, into her second career Grand Slam quarterfinal \u2014 and her first at the All England Club.<\/p>\n

She won the battle of big hitters, beating 31-year-old American and No. 26 seed Madison Keys 6-4, 7-6(2) to set up a quarterfinal against No. 25 seed Elise Mertens of Belgium. Mertens upset Elena Rybakina, the No. 2 seed who represents Kazakhstan, earlier this tournament.<\/p>\n

Noskov\u00e1 served better than Keys almost all match and, as would be the case for a player still alive in the doubles draw here, showed the 2025 Australian Open champion more variety with her know-how at net.<\/p>\n

\u201cShe has a little bit of everything that makes her really dangerous, especially on this surface,\u201d Keys said in her news conference.<\/p>\n

Noskov\u00e1 pairs her aggressive game with a blunt, decidedly cool vibe off-court, helped along by an accessory not often seen among tennis players and certainly not at Wimbledon: a septum ring she started wearing in January (but took out for the clay-court season for fear of what would happen with all the dust).<\/p>\n

\"Linda<\/p>\n

\n Linda Noskov\u00e1 has used momentum from winning a grass-court warmup to make the Wimbledon quarterfinals. (Ray Tang \/ Anadolu via Getty Images)<\/p>\n

\u201cI feel like it\u2019s bringing me some good luck,\u201d Noskov\u00e1 said with a smile in her news conference. \u201cIt doesn\u2019t bother me. It\u2019s cool. I like it off court. Why not?\u201d<\/p>\n

Noskov\u00e1 is just 21 but, after breaking into the top 40 in 2023, sounds more like an experienced veteran when talking about her career. When she was asked about reaching the top 10 earlier this week at the All England Club, it was everything she could do to keep from shrugging at her achievement. She said someone had to tell her she\u2019d even done it because she tries not to look at rankings and doesn\u2019t ask her team where she stands.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt never really mattered to me,\u201d she said. \u201cBut as I was climbing up the rankings, it\u2019s obvious that, you know, you see your position or where you are, or where you could be, or where you could have been. I feel like all these thoughts are a bit annoying at times, especially when you ask them yourself.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s why I really try not to think about it, try not to count the points and, you know, not even focus on (anything but) where you are right now, where I am right now.\u201d<\/p>\n

That attitude has gotten her two singles titles this year \u2014 progress after losing three finals in 2025 \u2014 and some belief she can win Wimbledon. Just like everybody else.<\/p>\n

\u201cI feel like anybody can beat anybody,\u201d Noskov\u00e1 said, grinning. \u201cIt\u2019s very open. It\u2019s a Grand Slam. Everybody wants to have the best result in their career. Everybody wants to win it. It is very competitive. I cannot just win a few matches and be the most confident in the locker room.\u201d \u2014 Ava Wallace<\/p>\n

Other notable results on Day 8<\/p>\n

\u2022 Elise Mertens (No. 25 seed) reached a Grand Slam singles quarterfinal for the first time since 2020. The Belgian, 30, defeated 27-year-old Marie Bouzkov\u00e1 (No. 21) of the Czech Republic 6-4, 6-4.<\/p>\n

\u2022 And Ukraine\u2019s Marta Kostyuk (No. 12) defeated qualifier Ashlyn Krueger of the U.S. to reach a second consecutive Grand Slam quarterfinal. The 24-year-old triumphed 6-4, 6-4 over her 22-year-old opponent.<\/p>\n

\u2022 Come 11 p.m., Alexander Zverev (No. 2) and Ji\u0159\u00ed Lehe\u010dka (No. 13) were the first Centre Court curfew casualties at this year\u2019s event. Zverev led 6-4, 7-5, 3-3 when play had to stop. They will resume Tuesday after the first match on Centre Court.<\/p>\n

Shot of the day<\/p>\n

Roger Federer just really loves tennis, everybody:<\/p>\n

\"Roger<\/p>\n

\n Roger Federer, at one with the Royal Box. (Adrian Dennis \/ AFP via Getty Images)<\/p>\n

Drop shots<\/p>\n

\ud83d\udc57 How Wimbledon\u2019s all-white rule<\/a> inspires outfit creativity from players and brands.<\/p>\n

\ud83d\udce5 The rising coach-player duo taking tennis fans inside the most intimate dialogue<\/a> in the sport \u2014 with a newsletter.<\/p>\n

Up next: Quarterfinals\ud83c\udfbe Men\u2019s singles: Jannik Sinner (No. 1) vs. Jan-Lennard Struff<\/p>\n

8 a.m. ET on ESPN 2, ESPN Unlimited<\/p>\n

Italy\u2019s Sinner, the defending champion and world No. 1, is an obvious favorite against the 36-year-old German, who is playing in the first major quarterfinal of his career. But \u2026 tennis always has a but. Sinner, 24, has been working rather than surging through his matches, fighting through an at-times ropey baseline game with a clean and precise serve. Struff plays all-out attack and comes to the net regularly, so the lack of rhythm \u2014 and presence of a target to aim at \u2014 could be a help or a hindrance to Sinner.<\/p>\n

\ud83c\udfbe Women\u2019s singles: Jessica Pegula (No. 4) vs. Coco Gauff (No. 7)<\/p>\n

8:30 a.m. ET on ESPN, ESPN Unlimited<\/p>\n

An all-American clash of grass-court style between the 32-year-old Pegula<\/a> and 22-year-old Gauff<\/a>. Pegula is far more comfortable on the surface than Gauff, but Wimbledon has been a challenge for her compared to the European grass events that precede it. Gauff\u2019s first quarterfinal berth at the event has come with some close-run matches, and Pegula had to come from a set down to Iva Jovi\u0107 in the previous round. This match promises to be just as tight, but Pegula has to start as the favorite.<\/p>\n

\ud83c\udfbe Men\u2019s singles: F\u00e9lix Auger-Aliassime (No. 3) vs. Novak Djokovic (No. 7)<\/p>\n

11 a.m. ET on ESPN, ESPN Unlimited<\/p>\n

This is a rarely seen matchup, with just two meetings, and one of them played at the Laver Cup, which does not count toward the ATP Tour rankings. Auger-Aliassime<\/a>, the 25-year-old Canadian, arrives with in-tournament confidence, having been broken just once all event. Serbia\u2019s Djokovic<\/a>, 39, is a seven-time champion, though, with all the grass-court experience he could possibly need to move into yet another semifinal at the All England Club.<\/p>\n

\ud83c\udfbe Women\u2019s singles: Naomi Osaka (No. 14) vs. Karol\u00edna Muchov\u00e1 (No. 10)<\/p>\n

11 a.m. ET on ESPN 2, ESPN Unlimited<\/p>\n

Two stars whose Wimbledon records didn\u2019t line up with their tennis skills meet just as they start to click on the grass. Osaka<\/a>, 28, and Muchov\u00e1<\/a>, 29, made the second week at the All England Club for the first time, and their contrasting styles will make this an exciting matchup. Japan\u2019s Osaka brings precise spot-serving and laser-like groundstrokes. Muchov\u00e1, of the Czech Republic, has more deceptive aggressiveness and greater finesse and feel in the front of the court.<\/p>\n

Wimbledon 2026 women\u2019s bracketWimbledon 2026 men\u2019s bracket<\/p>\n

Tell us what you noticed on the eighth day \u2026<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Follow The Athletic\u2019s Wimbledon coverage Welcome to the Wimbledon briefing, where The Athletic explains the stories behind the…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":528866,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[9],"tags":[85,46,6661,18144,105,1504,1505],"class_list":["post-528865","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-sports","tag-il","tag-israel","tag-olympics","tag-peak","tag-sports","tag-sports-business","tag-tennis"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/528865","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=528865"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/528865\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/528866"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=528865"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=528865"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=528865"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}