Alex De Minaur reveals his biggest worries as he tries to become the first Aussie man to win his home Grand Slam in almost 50 years
- It has been fifty years since an Australian won the men’s singles at the Australian Open
- Next week, Alex De Minaur, number 8 in the world, hopes to break that long wait
- But he remains cautious about several obstacles that stand in his way
Alex de Minaur is careful not to be tempted by his top eight finish at the Australian Open, saying it guarantees nothing.
While being seeded eighth adds to De Minaur’s growing confidence, the 25-year-old says there are too many landmines in the Open draw to make too much of it.
His high seeding means the Australian won’t play anyone above him until the quarter-finals.
It adds to the growing expectations and excitement surrounding de Minaur, who is seen as the best local prospect in the men’s singles draw since Lleyton Hewitt reached the 2005 final.
‘It’s a good feeling to go in. Obviously I have to worry about what’s happening on my side of the field and concentrate on myself,” he told reporters on Tuesday.
“It kind of means you’re somewhat protected. If you look at the big picture, you won’t play against a player ranked higher than you until a certain stage.
Alex De Minaur has allayed some of his biggest concerns ahead of the Australian Open as the tennis star remains very weary that there could be some tough opponents in the draw.
It’s been an exciting few months for Alex De Minaur, with him mainly popping the question to his long-standing girlfriend Katie Boulter
The affable Australian is being hyped as one of this year’s top contenders to win the men’s singles title. If he does, he will be the first Australian in 50 years to win the title
‘It’s better than the alternative, but at the same time it doesn’t mean anything. Nothing is guaranteed.
“You still have to beat everyone, everyone is extremely dangerous, it’s very open there and anything can happen on any given day.”
While De Minaur has fallen in the fourth round in the last three Australian Opens, he reached the quarter-finals of the other three Grand Slam tournaments last year.
He feels like a different player than he did 12 months ago, especially after overcoming the hip injury that forced him out of the Paris Olympics.
“I learned a lot about myself, I was extremely proud of my efforts all the way through, especially at the end when I wasn’t feeling my best physically,” he said.
‘I learned that I could still do a lot with my game and the confidence I had gained from the start of the year helped me enormously.
‘I feel like I’m a different player than last year, a better version of myself. I just want to keep improving and keep showing what I can do, day in and day out, and hopefully the results will take care of themselves.”
Being the best local hope means more attention and a call on De Minaur’s time.
Being the top local hope comes with a lot of pressure, but De Mianur admits it’s very exciting to be in Melbourne for his home game this week
The Australian remains unsure whether he and British fiancée Katie Boulter will compete in the Open mixed doubles
He joined compatriot and Australian Open wildcard entry Ajla Tomljanovic in Melbourne’s CBD on Tuesday morning for a promotion with Open sponsor Wilson.
“You know it’s coming in: this run-up week is always a little more than normal,” he said.
“But you’re home, so it’s kind of expected. At the same time, I feel really good about myself… I almost wish the Open would start already.”
The Australian remains unsure whether he and British fiancée Katie Boulter will compete in the Open mixed doubles.
‘Mixed doubles is so much fun. It’s just hard when you know that being single is the priority for both of us,” he said.
“We don’t want to do anything that will jeopardize our singles results, whether it’s a little bit of fatigue from spending more hours on court.
“If anything, it will be a last-minute decision.”