Then, 180 degrees in contrast, there’s Alex de Minaur – an exemplary personification of the values that define Australian tennis: relentless focus, hard work, loyalty, and a willingness to join forces with mates of all ages in his pursuit of excellence. On the loyalty front, the 25-year-old de Minaur has had the same coach, Adolfo Gutierrez, for more than 15 years.
He’s also been mentored by Hall of Famer Lleyton Hewitt and, thanks to Hewitt, likely taken in the wisdom of another Hall of Famer, Tony Roche. Inch by inch, de Minaur has willed himself into the top ten.
“It’s really about planning,” he said in Melbourne this year. “It’s about having a healthy balance. I’ve got a great team around me that helps me in every kind of step of the way.”
In Australia this year, de Minaur dropped just one set in four matches to reach the quarterfinals. There, he came up the formidable Sinner, losing in straight sets.
“So, hey, I’ll survive,” de Minaur said following that match. “I’ll keep improving. And if anything, I just need to sit with my team and figure out a way to hurt Jannik on the court. That’s ultimately the way we’ve got to look at it and find different ways because at the moment we don’t have it. So back to the drawing board, like I’ve done my whole career.”
