Alex de Minaur meets Hubert Hurkacz in the Beijing semifinals following an arduous week of grueling matches and physical struggles for both players on the hard courts. Defending semifinal points from last year, Alex de Minaur has battled through a tight opening win against Mariano Navone followed by back-to-back three-set battles against Quentin Halys and Andrey Rublev.
Meanwhile, Hubert Hurkacz has turned around a concerning run of seven consecutive hard-court losses earlier this season by winning 15 of his last 19 matches. However, his physical condition remains a major talking point after a grueling week in Chengdu, tough three-set wins against Learner Tien and Arthur Gea in Beijing, and a medical timeout called during his quarterfinal against Karen Khachanov.
Head-to-Head and Recent Form
De Minaur holds a solid 3-1 lead in previous encounters against Hurkacz, including victories in their last two meetings at the Indian Wells Masters last year and the United Cup earlier this year. In tour-level semifinals this season, De Minaur holds a 2-1 record, though he has not advanced beyond the semifinals during the Asian swing since Zhuhai in 2019.
Hurkacz has looked solid during the Asian swing, reaching the final in Chengdu before making the Beijing semifinals, with all eight of his matches during this swing featuring either a deciding set or a tiebreak. However, he has not defeated a top-10 opponent in a regular tour-level event since Geneva in May 2025.
Match Outlook and Physical Demands
With both players having endured demanding paths to the penultimate round, analysts note that Hurkacz’s heavy workload during the Asian swing could leave him physically exhausted against a relentless opponent like De Minaur. At the same time, De Minaur’s recent form and rock-bottom confidence leave questions about whether he can reliably execute against a quality opponent.
Worth a look
