“I’m at my peak”: Alex de Minaur eyes career-defining run ahead of DC Open

Australia has a rich history in tennis, with numerous players going on to become the world number one in both men’s and women’s singles categories during the Open era. However, it has been a while since any Australian player has dominated the proceedings in tennis.

One player, however, is determined to change that, and that is Alex de Minaur. The 26-year-old is currently ranked 13th in men’s tennis, and this year, he has won 30 out of 43 matches across different ATP competitions. De Minaur is now set to feature in the DC Open, where he will face Yunchaokete Bu of China.

De Minaur spoke to ATPTour.com before playing his first match in Washington, where he detailed his career trajectory. De Minaur was of the opinion that he believes he is playing some of the best tennis of his career, and he is ready to break some ‘barriers’. De Minaur stated that in his opinion, he has all the tools to go deeper into the competitions. The only thing he needs to do now is translate his efforts in training into big results.

“I’ve got the experience now. I’ve got the knowledge, the physicality side of things. Everything is just there for me to go out and perform,” said De Minaur. “I can really have a swing these next three or four years and really show that I’m at my peak and break through some barriers. I’m ready to go deep into tournaments. It’s just up to myself to put those results right. It was somewhat difficult at the start of the year and mentally taxing knowing that I had zeros on my ranking because I missed three Masters (Montreal, Cincinnati, and Shanghai).”

De Minaur also stated that he is feeling ‘excited’ going into the last phase of the season and is hoping to take his ‘chances’. “I knew it would be important to put myself in a good position for the back end of the year when I have little to defend, giving hope that I could gain some serious points and momentum and build on the ranking,” said De Minaur. “So going into the tail end of the year, I’m excited for the opportunity and hoping I can play good tennis and take care of my chances.”

De Minaur also spoke about his love for the city of Washington, stating that he enjoys riding scooters. He also shared the positive impact his girlfriend Katie Boulter has had on his career. “I actually love the city here in Washington,” said De Minaur. “We grabbed the scooters and just went around and saw everything from the White House to all the other unbelievable monuments. Over the years, the schedule has slightly changed. There’s been different tournaments on during this week. Last year we had obviously the Olympics. I’ve always wanted to come back, and it does make it a lot better having Katie around and being a combined event for us to be able to spend some time together, being on the same timezone and just living somewhat of a normal life.”

De Minaur, who will be playing for the first time since losing to Novak Djokovic in the fourth round at Wimbledon, also shared his perspective about where it all went wrong during the match against the 24-time Grand Slam winner. “I felt like I had my chances,” said De Minaur.. “We should have been in a fifth set. It slipped away pretty quickly, but those are the matches I need to start winning. I’ve identified a few areas to work on with my team, and hopefully that helps me take the next step.” Ultimately, De Minaur also shared his primary goal for 2025, which is to win 50 matches for the first time in a calendar year in his career at the highest level. “That [50 wins] is the goal,” he said. “Twenty more wins? I think it’s doable.”