<\/p>\n
At the 2025 US Open,<\/a> Alex de Minaur and Andrey Rublev both ran into the same roadblock \u2014 Canadian Felix Auger-Aliassime. The Canadian first dispatched Rublev in straight sets<\/a> in the round of 16, then followed it up by defeating de Minaur in four sets in the quarterfinals, winning two crucial tiebreaks to reach his second career US Open semifinal. Auger-Aliassime recovered from 2-5 down in the 4th set, to prevent a 5th set being played. Among the four semifinalists, Auger-Aliassime is the only one yet to win a Grand Slam title.<\/p>\n The in-form Canadian deserves full credit for his surge in New York, his best run since 2022. But for Rublev and de Minaur, their defeats add to a remarkable and troubling statistic: combined, the pair are 0\u201316 in Grand Slam quarterfinals across all three surfaces<\/strong>.<\/p>\n Rublev, a former World No. 5, has spent four years inside the top 10 and remains a fixture in the top 20 at age 27. A model of consistency, he has won 40 or more matches every year since 2020 \u2014 including a 41\u201310 record in that breakout season. He has claimed Masters 1000 titles in Monte Carlo and Madrid, reached four additional Masters finals, and won ATP titles every year since 2017 across multiple surfaces. By nearly every measure, Rublev is one of the most accomplished players of his generation. The only thing missing: a Grand Slam semifinal.<\/p>\n The Russian has reached 10 Slam quarterfinals<\/strong> \u2014 at least one per season from 2020 through 2024 \u2014 but has lost them all. In 2025, his Slam results slipped slightly, with three round-of-16 exits and just one quarterfinal appearance.<\/p>\n De Minaur, Australia\u2019s No. 1, has been similarly reliable. Now 26, he peaked at World No. 6 last year and has spent two straight seasons in the top 10. Nicknamed the \u201cDemon\u201d for his speed and defensive brilliance, he has won 40 or more matches each year since 2022 and owns 10 career ATP titles, including this year\u2019s Washington 500 crown. He also reached the 2023 Canadian Masters final and has built an impressive 18 wins over top-10 opponents. Though his peak hasn\u2019t quite matched Rublev\u2019s (27 top-10 wins), his career trajectory is similarly steady \u2014 and similarly blocked at Slam quarterfinals.<\/p>\n The numbers underline the issue. Against top-10 opponents, de Minaur is just 18\u201356, while Rublev is 27\u201346. Both are capable of big wins, but their records show they struggle to sustain \u201celite\u201d level play consistently.<\/p>\nRublev and de Minaur: Consistent Winners Without the Slam Payoff<\/h3>\n
Mental and Physical Limitations<\/h3>\n