But just five days into the Australian Open, Alex de Minaur is the last man standing as the local hopes took another brutal beating.

Thursday night was yet another example as the Aussies batted above their averages, taking it to players well above them on the rankings but once again came up short.

World No. 80 Thanasi Kokkinakis took it to 13th seed Grigor Dimitrov, eventually going down 6-3 6-2 4-6 6-4.

Meanwhile, Max Purcell will become Australia’s second ranked men’s player after world No. 11 Casper Ruud needed five sets to dispatch the tenacious Aussie 6-3 6-7 6-3 3-6 7-6.

But it’s far from the only heartbreak Australia has faced in the 2024 Open.

On Wednesday, world No. 43 Alexei Popyrin took a set off world No. 1 Novak Djokovic, while world No. 47 Jordan Thompson and world No. 68 Chris O’Connell did the same with world No. 7 Stefanos Tsitsipas and world No. 16 Ben Shelton respectively.

In the first round Rinky Hijikata, James Duckworth, Jason Kubler, Dane Sweeny and Aleksandar Vukic — although he was facing Thompson — all fell in five set thrillers.

So if it’s seemed like it’s been a heartbreaking Australian Open, it certainly has been.

While Australia is used to not having many locals to cheer for in week two of the tournament, it has felt particularly devastating in 2024.

But while the Aussie contingent is down to just de Minaur in the men’s and Storm Hunter in the women’s, there has definitely been a bright side.

Our Aussie stars have been crushed by the losses, which makes it clear not only were they in the matches, but they felt they could win.

Speaking after his five-set thriller against Ruud, Purcell said the current crop of Aussies are pushing each other to greater heights.

“I think we’re all just kind of finally where we want to be in our careers, top 100, playing in the big tournaments,” Purcell said in his press conference.

“Now we have a little bit more freedom with schedule and with coaches, with physios and all that.

“In saying that, everyone is then pushing to be ranked higher than the other one. Everyone is playing good ball. That’s kind of, you know, part of the reason why I think I’ve done well is because all these other guys have started to do well.

“Even Rinky losing to Struffy in the first round 10-8, and then we’ve got Kubs as well. Everyone’s had a few heartbreaks this week against some good players, but man, that’s tennis.

“Everyone gets unlucky. Everyone gets luck somewhere else throughout the season. That’s just how it goes.”

Purcell has been a true success story of Australian tennis, having cracked the top 100 in March last year, creeping up into the 40s, where he’s stayed since August.

And if his play against Ruud is anything to go by, there’s definitely room to grow, with four-time grand slam winner Jim Courier paying the 25-year-old a huge compliment.

“A 45th-ranked player in the world played like a top tenner out there. There was all kinds of disruption coming Casper Ruud’s way,” Courier said on Nine.

“There were 101 net approaches in that match from Max Purcell. That was old-school, classic tennis and it would have scared the daylights out of Casper Ruud.

“I tell you what, we might not see too many matches with higher consistent quality in this tournament than that. That was incredible. That is not hyperbolic.

“You look at winners to unforced errors, the service percentage, the style of play, it had just about everything.”

So while it may seem doom and gloom for Aussie tennis with the weight of the nation baring down solely on the shoulders of Alex de Minaur, the future is undoubtedly bright.