Key Point
- Alex de Minaur achieved a career-high in the top 10 of the ATP Rankings in January.
- The Sydney-born player splits his time between Australia and Spain.
- The 24-year-old is said to be the country’s biggest hope to break the 48-year drought for the Australian Open men’s title.
Alex de Minaur carries the support and weight of the nation on his shoulders as he seeks to win the first Grand Slam tournament on the tennis calendar.
The 24-year-old reached a major milestone in January, becoming the first Australian male to break into the top 10 since Lleyton Hewitt in 2006.
Watershed is a 10-time British Open champion, defeating world No. 1 Novak Djokovic. 2 Carlos Alcaraz and sixth-ranked Alexander Zverev have boosted their confidence ahead of action at Melbourne Park.
De Minaur’s baseline dominance will be put to the test with his forehand arsenal and the world number one’s arsenal after Friday’s win over Italy’s Flavio Cobolli at John Cain Arena. 5 Andrei Rublev on Sunday.
So what do we know about the young cannon looking to end Australia’s 48-year men’s title drought?
What is Alex de Minaur’s background?
De Minaur was born in Sydney to a Uruguayan father, Anibal, and a Spanish mother, Esther. When he was five years old, his family moved to his mother’s hometown of Alicante.
There, when De Minaur was just eight years old, he met his lifelong coach, Adolfo Gutierrez, to whom he credits the evolution of his attack.
“He took me in when I was very young to the point where my family obviously had a hard time paying him. He took me in. He spent countless hours with me. ” he said.
De Minaur returned to Sydney at the age of 13 and has always felt a strong connection to Australia and has reiterated that he is committed to his next move.[bleed] Green and Gold.”
De Minaur credited both coach Adolfo Gutierrez and mentor Lleyton Hewitt for developing his game. sauce: getty / Matthew Stockman
A dual citizen who has spent half his life in Spain and half in Australia, he is fluent in Spanish and English, and also speaks a little French.
His work ethic and calmness on the court earned him praise and guidance from former Australian world number one Lleyton Hewitt, who even decided to come out of retirement to play as his doubles partner in 2018. .
Despite strong ties to Spain, de Minaur, who is based in Europe, was reluctant to accept the idea of representing a Mediterranean nation.
How do you pronounce Alex de Minaur’s name?
The young Australian is used to fans mispronouncing his last name as “De Ming All” or “Demon All”.
He even joked in 2019 that he was going to change his name to “Daemon.”
His footwork and agility on the court earned him the nickname “Speed Demon,” and he now sports a minotaur logo on his camera lens.
The local hopeful told his fans the correct way to say his name “Dul Minar”.
Did Alex de Minaur win the title?
De Minaur won seven ATP Tour singles titles and one doubles title during a professional career that began in 2015, earning a total of $11,576,789 ($17,268,170).
However, the young player has yet to win a Grand Slam, with his best performance coming in 2022 when he reached the fourth round at both the Australian Open and Wimbledon.
Germany’s Zverev said de Minaur was in “very dangerous” condition and commented on the improvement in both his serve and forehand after the loss.
De Minaur reportedly spent two to three hours in the gym before heading to the court for practice, and was able to increase his weight by 7kg, both of which strengthened him and gave him more power. It is reported that.
Although his court coverage is among the best on tour, he is considered a dark horse as commentators question his ability to continue winning in the top 10.
Does Alex de Minaur have a girlfriend?
Boulter and de Minaur competed in mixed doubles at Wimbledon in 2023, winning their first match but losing their second match. sauce: getty / victoria jones
Alex de Minaur is dating Katie Boulter, a tennis player who ranks second in the rankings. The pair, 54, started in 2020 and have since been spotted supporting each other courtside.
The tennis power couple met while staying at the same South Yarra hotel during the Australian Open, before De Minaur plucked up the courage to ask the 27-year-old on a coffee date.
Boulter, ranked number one in the British women’s rankings, lost to China’s Zheng Qinwen in the second round of this year’s British Open.
What is the story behind Alex de Minaur’s tattoo?
De Minaur has the number 109 tattooed on his chest, just above his heart, to commemorate his debut as Australia’s 109th player to make his Davis Cup team debut.
He previously revealed he was proud to be in the Australian team, captained by Hewitt, and said he had no intention of going back to the tattoo parlor for more ink.
However, if he becomes the first Australian Open champion since Mark Edmundson in 1976, de Minaur could perhaps be an exception.
When will Alex de Minaur next play?
De Minaur will face Russia’s Andrei Rublev on Sunday, January 21st. The match begins at 7pm AEDT at Rod Laver Arena.
– With additional reporting from AAP.
