Alex de Minaur endured a crushing 6-3, 6-2, 6-1 loss to Jannik Sinner in their Wednesday night quarterfinal; a defeat that bore an unsettling resemblance to his encounter with Novak Djokovic two years earlier.
Both matches came in the Australian Open second week and had been pinpointed as marquee clashes from the draw ceremony, as if winning three or four matches at a major was a formality.
In 2023, his fourth-round clash with Djokovic carried immense anticipation. De Minaur had beaten Nadal at the United Cup, worked through the first week with two top-50 wins, and set up a showdown with an injury-hampered Djokovic.
What followed, however, was a bloodbath, with the then nine-time champion not offering de Minaur a glimpse at a break and dropping just five games in a dominant display.
Fast forward 24 months, de Minaur is a different player. Now holding a top-8 seed at a major and playing his fourth consecutive major quarterfinal, he came to Melbourne with heightened expectations, and for four rounds, he met them perfectly.
But against Sinner - who like Djokovic, was rumoured to be struggling physically - the 25-year-old still found himself outclassed.
Broken early in each set, de Minaur managed just one break point opportunity and won only ten points on Sinner's serve throughout the entire match.
Once again, a rout; at least for a player of de Minaur's quality.
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Having attended the Australian's press conference following his 2023 defeat to Djokovic, one could expect the same despondent Alex de Minaur last night.
The one who struggled to lift his gaze from the microphone, sat with his arms crossed throughout the ten minutes and radiated sheer dejection.
But this time, that wasn't the case. De Minaur's body language was noticeably more upbeat.
It was the appearance of a man in awe of his opponent; a man contently aware that Sinner's level was simply too good.
And a man who has come to learn that defeating Sinner over five sets, and ultimately winning a major, may be tasks beyond reach.
"It's pretty tough right now for me to sit here after this defeat and tell you that I believe I can go all the way," de Minaur said.
"Right now my worst matchup on tour is probably Jannik. There's a head-to-head that doesn't lie.
"If I'm in a different side of the draw, different little section, then who knows?"
While the same realisation may have been apparent in 2023, tonight felt different.
We saw a more honest version of de Minaur; one who has come to terms with the immense challenge of winning a Grand Slam title, yet remains determined to give himself every possible chance.
"I'm going to give myself opportunities...I don't think my peak is making the quarterfinals in a slam.
"I see other players that have made it further..made semis, finals, and I do believe that I can be amongst them."
The Aussie also rightfully acknowledged that he's not alone in struggling to compete with Sinner, who has remarkably now won 81 of his past 87 matches.
"It's not like he's just had a good week here or a good week there. He's just beaten everyone," de Minaur said.
"He's got this top level that he can do this to players."
The Aussie pointed to Sinner's commanding victory over Djokovic at last year's Australian Open as a source of reassurance and comfort, emphasising that Sinner's best tennis is near-impossible for anyone to counter.
"You go into the match, and you know..it's going to be tough," de Minaur revealed.
"Then you're an hour and 30 [minutes] in, and you're struggling to win games, and you're trying to find ways to get on the board. It's pretty surreal."
For de Minaur, his trajectory remains upward, and while the climb to tennis' pinnacle is steep, evenings like last night are not a fair reflection of his unwavering growth and progress.
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