A week after his return to Sydney, Christmas Day for Alex de Minaur doesn’t look like much fun.
“Well, basically it will consist of spending some time on the tennis court… and in the gym,” he explains matter-of-factly.
So the same old thing, Alex?
“Always,” Australia’s best tennis player tells AAP with a hint of a smile.
Is this a copy of the book by the great decathlete Daley Thompson, who always imagined that on Christmas Day, while he was practicing shot put, his fellow Olympic hopefuls would simply scoff at the pudding?
“Well, that’s it,” he agrees, figuring it gives him that extra edge over his rivals. “There’s not much time left before we start competing again, so you can’t have too many days off, right?”
Australian tennis star Alex de Minaur says he will train on Christmas Day
The Australian workaholic had a great season in 2024 and aims to do better in 2025.
‘There is no rest for the wicked. Ultimately, let’s say that the fuel that drives me to improve, that hunger, overrides the feeling that I need a week off, two weeks off with vacation and enjoying the holiday season.
‘That’s how I’m wired. And the way I finished this year, I sat down with my team and said, ‘Okay, what do we need to improve? In all aspects of my life, what do I need to improve next year?’
‘In my view, 2024 was a decisive year, 100 percent. I played incredible tennis, hit a career-high six, made it to the end-of-year final for the first time, but I still think I can do more.
‘That’s what I want, ultimately, that’s what I’m working so hard for. I am one of those people who are never satisfied and I think that, in a way, sometimes it hurts me, because it is difficult for me to value the moment for itself.
‘I’ve gotten a lot better at it, but at the same time I always want more. Never satisfied. “That’s what all the training is for.”
That’s De Minaur to the core. The super perfectionist, the workaholic who doesn’t take shortcuts.
Reflecting on his approach during an interview in London ahead of a relatively meaningless exhibition-style event at the end of his 2024 work, he made it clear that he’s actually too competitive to just go through the motions.
Naturally, he won everything.
The tennis champion enjoyed a pre-Christmas feast with his girlfriend, British tennis star Katie Boulter, and her family last week.
De Minaur’s goal is to perform well at the Australian Open in January (pictured with Katie Boulter at Wimbledon last year).
Yes, last week he enjoyed a pre-Christmas feast with his girlfriend, British tennis star Katie Boulter, and her family, but back on Australian soil, his undivided attention is now on Mission Melbourne Park.
Three-time champion Mats Wilander told AAP last year in Paris that he believed the Australian Open would be De Minaur’s best chance of winning a Grand Slam.
“Look, I would love to have a great Australian Open,” De Minaur says upon hearing this. “It’s my home tournament, exactly where I would love to play my best tennis.
‘As things stand, it’s my worst Slam in terms of performances. I’ve reached the quarterfinals of every Slam except Melbourne, and there I had a brutal match against Andrey (Rublev in the fourth round) that could have gone either way and was definitely one of my biggest disappointments of the year.
“But I hope to be able to contribute everything I have achieved this year and reach 2025 running.” “I would love nothing more than to play well in Australia, in front of my fans, friends and family.”
And given the potential improvements you’re discussing with your team, do you feel like you’ve finally overcome the pain of the hip injury that plagued you from Wimbledon onwards?
“I’m happy that I’m going in the right direction to start the new season, hopefully pain-free,” he says.
‘And the good thing about this is that there are so many different categories that I can still improve in. On the court, ultimately, we want to compete with the best in the world, right? And that’s Jannik (Sinner), you’ve got Carlitos (Alcaraz), you’ve got Novak (Djokovic), Sascha (Zverev), (Daniil) Medvedev, Rublev, all these guys, right?
“Everyone is hitting the ball really hard, so I’ll try to raise my average ball speed a little bit, and I’ll also try to be a little more aggressive.”
‘In the gym, I try to get a little stronger so I can deal with it. I can still get fitter, get faster, get that extra one percent,
‘It’s not like going from night to day. “I am going to improve my tennis in singles and I hope that my ranking will also improve.”
De MInaur says he is doing everything possible to be the best tennis player possible
De Minaur’s mission statement is impeccable and completely admirable.
Break your stomach, without filling your belly, on Christmas Day?
‘That’s what you do it for, right?’ he smiles.
“Because ultimately, at the end of my career, I want to be sitting on my couch relaxing, knowing that I’ve done everything in my power to be the best tennis player I can be.”