“More than anything, I’m just finding my feet on clay. It’s taken me a while in my career,” said Alex de Minaur after dismantling Daniil Medvedev in a stunning 72-minute showcase in R16 at Monte Carlo. That masterclass performance was, however, only the beginning. The Aussie followed it up with an absolute clinic against Grigor Dimitrov, serving him a rare double bagel, securing arguably the most dominating win of his career. And as the tennis world buzzed over the result, Coco Gauff’s ex-coach Brad Gilbert weighed in as well, offering an honest and heartfelt take on De Minaur’s brilliance. What exactly did he say?

The World No. 10 De Minaur dismantled Dimitrov with ruthless precision in the Monte Carlo quarterfinals. After storming through the first set with a bagel in just 23 minutes, for the first time in nine years, De Minaur kept his foot on the gas in the second set as well.

A brilliant backhand lob sealed him an early break in the second set, and from there, it was complete domination. Dropping only 15 of 63 points, De Minaur became the first Aussie since John Alexander in 1979 to reach the Monte Carlo semifinals.

After the Aussie’s emphatic win over Dimitrov, Brad Gilbert took to his X account, heaping praise on De Minaur, “Just looked at live scores little Demon 😈 took out Grigorian 12-0  winning the minimum number of points 48-15, GD must have been out of gas ⛽️ has to be 1st time was ever double bagel 🥯 in pro career @SharkoTennis,” Gilbert wrote.

It was expected to be a tough battle for De Minaur against the ever-resilient Dimitrov. But after racing through the opening stages, the Aussie quickly drained the confidence of the Bulgarian, who unraveled with a staggering 23 unforced errors. In just 44 minutes, De Minaur, who had previously beaten Daniil Medvedev by showcasing razor-sharp precision and relentless baseline power, handed the World No. 18 one of his most lopsided defeats on the iconic Court Rainier III. 

With this victory, De Minaur also became the first Australian since Lleyton Hewitt in 2007 to reach a Masters 1000 clay-court SF, marking his tour-leading 20th win of the season.

What’s even more staggering is it’s the first double bagel (6-0, 6-0) registered in an ATP QF or beyond since the Swiss icon Roger Federer dismantled Mischa Zverev in Halle back in 2013. After this history-making performance, a beaming De Minaur shared his thoughts, proudly reflecting on the moment. 

“It’s about opening up the court” —Alex de Minaur on improvements in his clay court game

In two dazzling sets against Grigor Dimitrov that lasted less than 45 minutes, Alex de Minaur etched his name into ATP Masters 1000 history by doing something even King of Clay Rafael Nadal never achieved on clay: a double bagel in a Masters quarterfinal or beyond.

In becoming the first player ever to win a quarterfinal, semifinal, or final 6-0, 6-0 in ATP Masters 1000 history, a format dating back to 1990, De Minaur showcased not just dominance but precision. He put 86 percent of his rally balls beyond the service line, far outpacing Dimitrov’s 78 percent, and hit deeper shots 41 percent of the time compared to the Bulgarian’s 29 percent. 

With just 8 unforced errors, the Aussie never gave his opponent room to breathe. After the match, De Minaur admitted with a smile, “With the troubles I had on this surface at the start of my career, I didn’t quite understand it and how to play well on it. As the years have gone by, I have grown to understand the things I can do well to become a tough opponent on this surface. I’m very happy that I am playing better and better every year. It’s not about hitting hard, powerful shots [on clay]. It’s about opening up the court, using angles, height, and different speeds. Understanding the balance between being too aggressive and too passive,”

Next up for Alex de Minaur in Monte Carlo is the World No. 16 Lorenzo Musetti. With their H2H tied at 1-1, it promises a tight battle. Musetti’s clay-court finesse contrasts with De Minaur’s relentless grit. But riding high on the confidence of a historic double bagel, can the Aussie outlast the Italian and punch his ticket to the final? Share your thoughts in the comments below.