De Minaur's Superfan Inspires Historic Roland Garros Run

Alex de Minaur's remarkable run at the 2023 Roland Garros reached new heights on Saturday as he became the first Australian man in 17 years to reach the fourth round of the clay-court major. However, it was not just his on-court performance that made headlines, but also the unwavering support of a young superfan who inspired him throughout the rain-soaked match.

Throughout the four-set victory over Jan-Lennard Struff, the young boy, clad in rain gear and a backwards gray cap, was a constant presence on television cameras, cheering, clapping, and pumping his fists with every point de Minaur won. Despite multiple rain interruptions that dragged the match to over eight hours, the boy's courtside passion never wavered.

De Minaur, who was visibly lifted by the support, acknowledged the boy's impact after the match. "I'm looking at him and thinking of if I was a fan, I would probably be back home, because it was bloody cold out there," he said. "I don't understand what this kid is doing, but, oh, he gave me life."

After securing the victory, de Minaur made a beeline for the courtside seats to give his superfan a big hug, a high-five, and handed him a towel from his bag. "I was, like, Mate ... It was a relief more than anything. It was amazing. I appreciate this kid," de Minaur said.

The heartwarming moment went viral on social media, with the video of the embrace being viewed over 1 million times on Roland Garros' official Twitter account. De Minaur later launched a public plea on social media to find the young fan, saying he "need[ed]" him in the stands for the next round.

By Sunday morning, social media had done its job. De Minaur posted an update to his Instagram story that he had located the youngster. Whether the good luck charm will be in the crowd when de Minaur takes on Daniil Medvedev on Monday for a first-ever Roland Garros quarterfinal remains to be seen.

Tags: #RolandGarros, #AlexdeMinaur, #Superfan, #Tennis, #AustralianTennis