EXCLUSIVE: Why crushing loss won't define rising Aussie star

Alex de Minaur's run to the quarter-finals at the US Open is confirmation he can be a top-10 player, according to Australian legend Todd Woodbridge.

De Minaur made the final eight at a grand slam for the first time, before going out in straight sets to second seed Dominic Thiem.

Along the way de Minaur defeated 11th seed Karen Khachanov, coming from two-sets to one down to win in five.

On the back of his fourth round appearance in New York in 2019, Woodbridge says the signs are positive.

"It's the first time Alex has had to defend a big haul of points at a slam, and he did that well, even going a step further to make the quarters," he told Wide World of Sports.

"I think he's consistently taking those small steps forward, which is exactly what you want to see from someone his age.

"Eventually I see him being a top-10 player."

But Woodbridge was realistic in putting a timeframe on de Minaur's rise, admitting that he was overpowered by Thiem.

"He got exposed against Theim, it was like a middleweight taking on a heavyweight in boxing," Woodbridge said.

"Particularly on the groundstrokes, because Thiem hits it so hard, he forced Alex back and made him play bigger tennis than what he wanted to.

"He can't beat Thiem just counter-punching, you have to have a strong offensive game."

According to the 22-time grand slam champion, de Minaur is still a couple of years away from his best.

"What it showed is that Alex is going to have to work really hard to build more muscle, more strength, and hit bigger shots. But working hard isn't a problem for Alex," he explained.

"He also needs to be able to step up his serve a bit so he can pick up free points, or have the ball back in court where he can dictate the rest of the point.

"He had no free points against Thiem. It's a really good example for him to know what he has to do to improve."

De Minaur admitted as much after his loss to Thiem, pointing out that Thiem was six years older than he was, and had grown into his body.

The Australian said he wasn't happy with where he's at, noting he needs to keep improving.

One man who had no problems picking up some free points on serve, Sam Groth, was sympathetic to de Minaur's plight.

"You could just see where the inadequacies lay," Groth told Wide World of Sports.

"Thiem's a big hitter, probably the biggest challenger to the Big Three.

"For Alex it highlights the need for him to find a few more weapons, and beef his serve up a little bit. Find ways to win points a little bit easier than just retrieving the entire time.

"But you can't just go and put on six inches, it doesn't work like that.

"A lot of time we think in tennis about covering up weaknesses, but it's more important for me to build your strengths.

"Find out how you're going to win, not just how you're going to avoid losing, and that's the next step for Alex, he's so good at retrieving and counter-punching, but where are the winners coming from at the top level?"

De Minaur's quarter-finals appearance, on the back of a fourth-round run in New York in 2019, is the first time he's gone deep at the same slam in consecutive years.

And Groth points out the US Open is likely to remain the slam that suits him the most.

"It's a really physical grand slam, the conditions make it hard," he explained.

"If you're not fit and ready to go you'll get found out really quickly.

"It's such a demanding tournament, and it has always suited guys who like a fast court. Alex absorbs pace so well so it suits him nicely.

"Clay is where it becomes harder for him. On a fast court it's easier to hit a winner because the court gives you that assistance."