Sixth seed Alex de Minaur has prepared himself for a brutal tournament. He’s certainly begun the season on a high note. He recently secured confidence-boosting victories over Jakob Mensik and Hubert Hurkacz, setting the stage for his first-round match against former Wimbledon finalist Matteo Berrettini. The 2024 Australian Open begins January 16, 2024 at Melbourne Park. De Minaur looks quite at home in this most comfortable of surroundings.
De Minaur’s opener against Berrettini should serve as a barnstorming kickstarter, too – that looms as a ferocious first battle. The Italian player reached the 2022 Australian Open semi-finals. He has a small mental edge over de Minaur, with a 3-2 head-to-head record. “I just need to control it,” de Minaur conceded. He knows he’s under the gun because he’s facing a once in a generation opponent.
Amid these obstacles, de Minaur has proven to be a fighter and a quick learner. Additionally, he’s established himself as a mainstay at his adopted home of Melbourne Park, claiming the same locker since 2017. The comfort of the surroundings will surely give him more confidence as he faces the competition at the tournament.
Should de Minaur come through this huge match-up with Berrettini, he might have a tough-as-nails American Frances Tiafoe in the third round. He could face Alexander Bublik in the round of 16. He could meet Carlos Alcaraz in the last eight. This is a bad matchup for de Minaur, even without factoring in his history of quitting against the real good ones. He’s never beaten either Alcaraz or Jannik Sinner on tour.
De Minaur looked to get ready for the Grand Slam by facing off against Alcaraz in a high-pressure exhibition game. This opportunity allowed him to hone his craft. Main draw player Thanasi Kokkinakis knows that anything is possible in a tournament like this. He added, ‘Provided that he is playing good tennis and remaining healthy, you never know what de Minaur can do!
De Minaur’s entire strategy revolves around managing his opponents’ expectations. He is in pursuit of his first victory at the Australian Open. Competition in the draw is brutal. “You never know what’s going to happen on their day,” Kokkinakis said when asked about the competition in the draw. De Minaur is well enough versed to recognize that all the players at this level are freakishly strong. In order to win, he has to show up with his A game.
Before every match, de Minaur sits down to meditate. He reflects on how to address his individual needs while navigating the extreme demands that come with competing at that high of a level. “I have to be a little bit selfish and put the focus on myself,” he admitted. He insisted that this type of thinking is important not only to my performance, but mental readiness as well.
