- Alex de Minaur has secured a top-10 ranking
- He is the first Australian man in 17 years to achieve this feat
- De Minaur defeated Zverev 5-7, 6-3, 6-4
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Fueled by critics on social media, Alex de Minaur has more big names in his sights after a win over Alexander Zverev earned him a place at the top of the tennis table on the eve of the Australian Open.
Australia's No. 1 will go into his home slam with added interest after securing a top-10 ranking for the first time in his career with a 5-7 6-3 6-4 victory over Zverev at the United Cup in Sydney.
De Minaur is the first Australian man to reach the top ten since Lleyton Hewitt in 2006.
Australia may have lost the tie with Germany, but de Minaur has found a good streak ahead of next week's tournament in Melbourne.
His second ever defeat to Olympic champion Zverev on Saturday ended a potentially groundbreaking week in his career after the 24-year-old defeated Novak Djokovic for the first time.
De Minaur is the first Australian man to reach the top ten since Lleyton Hewitt in 2006
De Minaur is far from the game's biggest or strongest and says he will continue to rely on online knockers for encouragement as he aims to dive deep in Melbourne.
“I was able to really step it up after my first match and get that confidence and it's great to get these matches before the Australian Open,” de Minaur said.
'It was very special and it is a moment that I will cherish forever.
'I see all the reasons why I'm not going to be a good player, why I'm not going to make it or why I'm not going to improve.
'I keep it in the back of my mind and use it as motivation.
'Ultimately it is my drive that has put me in this position and I want to get the most out of myself.'
De Minaur's girlfriend Katie Boulter toasted the Aussie's achievement on social media on Saturday evening.
“No, I'm not emotional,” she wrote on X accompanied by crying emojis.
'No one deserves it more than this man. Just the beginning.'
Despite Saturday's defeat, Zverev still has a 6-2 head-to-head record against Minaur.
But Germany's world number 6 warned his fellow Slam contenders that the Australian now represented a “very dangerous” opponent compared to the man he last faced almost 18 months ago.
The Australian defeated Alexander Zverev 5-7, 6-3, 6-4 at the United Cup in Sydney
Australian girlfriend Katie Boulter took to social media to share his hard work
The victory over the Olympic champion adds to an impressive week for De Minaur, who also claimed a drought-breaking victory over Novak Djokovic
“I feel like this is the best Alex has played against me,” Zverev said.
“He's in incredible form… his forehand has probably always been the shaky shot, but it wasn't.
'His second serve in particular surprised me, he went from 160 to 165 km/h, which was never the case before.
'His second serve was always a weak spot and he played fantastic.
'He beat Novak in straight sets and he beat me today. He is in very good form and is very dangerous at the moment.'
De Minaur said he felt that too.
His participation in the United Cup, which also included a victory over American Taylor Fritz, gave him the belief that victories over the likes of Djokovic and Zverev could become a regular occurrence.
“This past week has significantly improved my record against top-10 opponents,” de Minaur said.
'I showed that I can do it and support it in two different cities.
“I'm really happy with how 2024 is going and hopefully I can keep it going.”