The French Open is here, and one of the first-round matches people are kind of curious about is between Alex de Minaur and Laslo Djere. It’s not a blockbuster on paper, but if you look a little closer, it could turn out to be a really interesting one, especially on clay. Both players have had decent seasons so far, and honestly, this one could go either way depending on who handles the surface better that day.
De Minaur is looking sharp this season
De Minaur’s coming into this tournament as the World No. 9, which is already impressive. He’s not really known for being a clay guy, but he’s been getting better on this surface. His season overall has been solid. Like, he’s played 36 matches and won 26 of them. He’s made quarterfinals in Australia, Doha, Barcelona — and even made the semis in Monte Carlo, which was kind of unexpected. And yeah, he even gave Carlos Alcaraz a proper fight in Rotterdam. That says a lot.
What really stands out with De Minaur is his consistency. He doesn’t always blow you away with big shots, but he keeps coming back, keeps the pressure on. His stats show that, too — over 100 aces this season, and he’s been winning almost 3 out of 4 points on his first serve. That’s a big deal on clay where every hold matters. And that break point conversion rate? Almost 50%, which means if you give him a chance, he usually takes it.
Djere has the clay experience
On the other side, you’ve got Laslo Djere, and to be honest, this guy can be dangerous on clay. He’s 29 now, been on tour for a while, and clay is clearly where he’s most comfortable. He actually broke a five-year title drought earlier this year by winning in Chile. That win wasn’t a fluke either — he beat some solid players like Francisco Cerundolo and Sebastian Baez along the way.
His season hasn’t been as busy as De Minaur’s, but when he’s played, he’s done well. He made a semifinal in Argentina, and in Barcelona, he made it to the Round of 16. Madrid and Rome weren’t great for him, but that’s kind of been his pattern — hot and cold. Still, his serving numbers look solid. 75 aces, and he's also winning around 74% on his first serve. So he’s reliable, even if he doesn’t always go deep in big events.
De Minaur leads the head-to-head
These two have actually played three times before, and De Minaur has won all of them. The first time was back in 2019 at the Paris Masters — pretty routine win for him. Then they met again on grass at Queen’s Club in 2021, and De Minaur had to fight back from a set down. Their last match was in 2023 at the Libema Open, and that one was a lot closer. Djere pushed it to three sets, even forced a tiebreak in the second.
So while De Minaur has always had the edge, Djere’s kind of been closing that gap. And now they’re meeting on clay, Djere’s favorite surface. That changes things. He’s never beaten De Minaur, but this could actually be his best shot yet.
What to expect in this match
Honestly, this feels like one of those matches that could quietly turn into a classic. De Minaur’s definitely the favorite based on ranking and recent form, but Djere isn’t going to go down easy — especially not on a court that suits him. De Minaur’s got the speed and the return game, while Djere’s got the patience and the clay-court grind.
If I had to guess, I’d say De Minaur probably edges this one in four tight sets. But if Djere starts well and gets into those long baseline rallies, this could easily swing the other way. Either way, it’s one to keep an eye on.
