Alex de Minaur believes he has never been closer to shedding his reputation as the tennis world’s “nearly man”.
After toppling Russian champion Daniil Medvedev for his first top-five scalp in 19 attempts at the Paris Masters barely a fortnight ago, de Minaur lost to American Frances Tiafoe in his next match.
That meant the strong-willed 23-year-old missed out on leapfrogging Nick Kyrgios to end the year as Australia’s top-ranked singles player.
Alex de Minaur is planning more Davis Cup heroics in Spain this week.Credit:Getty Images
De Minaur also failed to capitalise on a pair of match points in the Barcelona semi-finals against then-11th-ranked Carlos Alcaraz, on the Spaniard’s favoured clay.
Alcaraz was the US Open champion and world No.1 only five months later.
And don’t forget de Minaur’s third-set tiebreak loss to eventual champion Taylor Fritz at Indian Wells, or his fourth-round Wimbledon heart-breaker against Cristian Garin after being two sets to the good.
Even so, he had arguably his best year on tour, which could get even better when he leads Australia into Davis Cup quarter-final battle with the Netherlands in Malaga, Spain in the early hours of Wednesday morning (AEDT).
Tomljanovic, Saville shortlisted for major WTA awards
Australians Ajla Tomljanovic and Daria Saville are in contention for two prestigious WTA player awards.
Tomljanovic is among the nominees for the tour’s most improved player after a career-best season where she made the quarter-finals at Wimbledon and the US Open. The 29-year-old also performed a key role in Australia reaching the Billie Jean King Cup final a fortnight ago and ends the year at a career-high singles ranking of No.33.
Tomljanovic’s fellow nominees are Brazil’s Beatriz Haddad Maia and Russians Veronika Kudermetova, Ekaterina Alexandrova and Liudmila Samsonova.
Saville (nee Gavrilova) is in the running for comeback player of the year after an extraordinary rise from outside the top 600 in February to breaking back into the top 50 seven months later. The former top-20 star endured a five-year battle with an Achilles tendon problem that eventually prompted surgery after last year’s Australian Open.
Saville reached the round of 32 at Roland Garros, as well as the Miami Masters quarter-finals, the third round at Indian Wells as a qualifier, the Granby final and Washington semi-finals. But she faces another lengthy absence after suffering an ACL rupture for the second time, while playing against Naomi Osaka in Tokyo in September.
American superstar Serena Williams, Germany’s Tatjana Maria and Croatia’s Donna Vekic were also nominated for comeback player. International media will vote to decide the award-winners.
De Minaur’s 45 wins were his most in a single season on the ATP Tour; he beat six top-20 rivals (including three in the top 10); won the Atlanta Open for a second time; and made the last 16 at the Australian Open and Wimbledon.
Alex de Minaur feels ready to make a major on-court breakthrough.Credit:Getty Images
Sprinkle in semi-final runs at Barcelona, Lyon, Eastbourne and Stockholm, plus a year-end ranking of No.24 – after returning to the top 20 in May and August – and you have the highlights of a quality campaign.
“I feel like I’m very close. I’ve had lots of matches this year that have just slipped through my fingertips, against these (top) players, when I’ve had opportunities to really go on a run,” de Minaur told The Age and the Sydney Morning Herald.
“I’ve just got to keep pushing and putting myself in those positions. I like to tell myself that good karma will come my way, so hopefully sooner rather than later this big breakthrough is going to come.
“One of the big things for me to make the next big step is to get better results at the slams and Masters – but that will come.
“I strongly believe I’m doing the right things, and it’s just a matter of time. As soon I get a little breakthrough, hopefully, the floodgates will open, and I’ll be able to take advantage of that.”
Joining de Minaur in Australia’s Davis Cup squad are Thanasi Kokkinakis and Wimbledon doubles champions Max Purcell and Matt Ebden, while Jordan Thompson, Jason Kubler and emerging junior Charlie Camus are there as hitting partners.
Kyrgios remains unavailable for Davis Cup duty but will ramp up his Australian Open title assault at a heavily criticised Saudi Arabian exhibition event in mid-December that delivers him significant appearance money.
Kokkinakis partnered Kyrgios in last week’s ATP Finals in Turin, where Purcell and Ebden were alternates, while de Minaur and co. completed gruelling sessions in a five-day training camp in Paris under Lleyton Hewitt’s and Tony Roche’s watch.
They are now ready to face a challenging Netherlands squad led by Botic van de Zandschulp, Tallon Griekspoor and doubles stars Wesley Koolhof and Matwe Middelkoop on an indoor hardcourt.
Alex de Minaur.Credit:AP
“It’s an amazing feeling. Ultimately, this is where we want to be and this is where I think the team feels like they belong,” de Minaur said.
“We’ve got a great team, and it’s really exciting to be at this stage of the event. Everyone’s had a very long year, but I can guarantee you we’re all going to be ready to come out firing.”
Victory over the Netherlands in their knockout quarter-final would set up a clash with Croatia or host nation Spain, so it doesn’t get any easier, but de Minaur said Australia could “100 per cent” win their first title since 2003.
They are trying to go one better than their countrywomen, who reached the Billie Jean King Cup final in Glasgow two weeks ago.
“It’s all about passion. The importance of Davis Cup is definitely right up there, so we all want to get up and be able to produce for our country, our teammates, and our captain,” de Minaur said.
“I’ve got the utmost confidence in every one of the members here and, look, this is the team that got us here.
“We’re a very dangerous team, and we’ve got some great players and I think we can beat anyone on any given day. I’m extremely proud and privileged to be a part of this team.”
De Minaur will have a brief break after the Davis Cup, before pre-season stops in Monaco and his main base Alicante, where he will train with the likes of Cameron Norrie, Jannik Sinner and Grigor Dimitrov.
He will return to Sydney just before Christmas to complete his final preparations for the new United Cup, then the Australian Open.
Australia’s Davis Cup clash with the Netherlands will be broadcast live on Gem from 2am AEDT Wednesday.
