“It doesn’t surprise me, he is super human,” Alex De Minaur praised Djokovic’s quick return at Wimbledon

Monday, 01 July 2024 at 01:30

Alex De Minaur ‘not surprised’ by Djokovic's quick return post-knee surgery. The 9th seed expressed his admiration for Novak Djokovic’s rapid return to competition and spoke about Katie Boulter's strong showing on the Tour, as he hopes she can make a big run in SW19.

The 25-year-old player has had a remarkable season with a 33-12 record and two titles. In February, he defended his title at the ATP 500 Mexican Open, defeating Casper Ruud in the final. Two weeks ago, he won his second grass-court title at the ATP 250 Libema Open by defeating Sebastian Korda and reached his best ranking as world No. 7.

De Minaur anticipates Djokovic’s strong performance

De Minaur seems to have found consistency in his career and has been more than consistent over the past year. He reached the second week in his last three Grand Slam main draw appearances, including the quarterfinals at the recent French Open, despite having only three wins in seven previous Roland Garros appearances.

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Now at Wimbledon, he hopes to show once again that he has taken a step forward in his career and surpass the quarterfinal mark in a Slam. De Minaur is the 9th seed and, with a good campaign at SW19, could potentially face Djokovic (second seed) in the quarterfinals, though he would first need to overcome possible opponents like Felix Auger-Aliassime or Hubert Hurkacz, who are in the same part of the draw as the Aussie.

The participation of the 24-time Grand Slam champion at Wimbledon is confirmed, and it seems his physical condition won’t be a problem this time. Djokovic has won 7 titles at the All England Club and has stated that his goal is to lift the trophy again, with his knee injury not being a hindrance.

“It doesn’t surprise me, he is superhuman,” Alex De Minaur said in an interview with Tennis 365 regarding Djokovic’s quick recovery. “He’s done incredible things before and I expect him to be back and ready to go for Wimbledon. I’m pretty sure he will be back, playing at the top of his game and looking like he never had an injury. That’s what we expect from Novak, and we shouldn’t be surprised by anything he does.”

De Minaur proud of Boulter’s succes

The Australian also spoke about his girlfriend Katie Boulter’s excellent form over the past year. The current world No. 31 returned to the top-100 of the WTA Ranking in 2023 after 4 years, winning her first WTA 250 title at the Nottingham Open, a trophy she reclaimed the same day De Minaur was crowned champion in s’Hertogenbosch.

“I’m super proud of everything she is accomplishing,” said De Minaur. “The way she is handling the pressure and expectation that is around her now as she has achieved success is just amazing. To go out there and defend her title in Nottingham, having to play five sets on the Sunday due to the rain earlier in the week, was pretty incredible.”

Alex De Minaur and Katie Boulter played mixed doubles at 2023 Wimbledon

It was the second time De Minaur and Boulter won trophies on the same day. Earlier this year, just hours after De Minaur won the Mexican Open, Boulter claimed her first hardcourt title by defeating Marta Kostyuk in the San Diego Open final.

“Hopefully now she has had some time to get ready for Wimbledon and she can have a great tournament. It would be great if we could both play some great tennis and it would be a pretty nice story if we can both go on a run,” the ATP world No. 9 added.

“We accept there will be publicity around us if we both do well, and we are fine with that. At the end of the day, we are both pretty quiet people, but we have come to terms with the fact that when we are winning tournaments on the same day, it’s a story the press will run with,” De Minaur added. “In general, all the publicity has been positive so far, and that’s fine. It’s a good problem to have.”

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The Australian also commented that he hopes to receive support from the local fans. De Minaur and Boulter have been in a relationship since 2020, but at that time, she was mainly competing in ITF tournaments and was far from the spotlight of the top level.

De Minaur hopes that being the boyfriend of the British No. 1 will encourage fans to support him during the tournament as well: “I’d love to have the Brits on board,” added De Minaur with a smile. “I’ve always had a very good reception at Wimbledon, and I can’t wait to get started. The days before the tournament are always very exciting, and I’m looking forward to it now.”

Cristhián AvilaTennis Journalist

Cristhián Ávila is a tennis journalist based in Santiago, Chile, and has been part of the TennisUpToDate team since early 2023. He covers the ATP and WTA Tours as well as all four Grand Slams, producing breaking news, match reports, analysis, and regular liveblogs from major tournaments.

His reporting combines statistical analysis with clear explanation, helping readers understand tactical developments, player form, and broader storylines across the tour. Working fluently in both Spanish and English, Cristhián collaborates with an international editorial team and contributes to comprehensive global coverage. As part of his work, he has conducted interviews and media interactions with leading figures in the sport, including Caroline Wozniacki and John McEnroe.

In his journalism, Cristhián places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles promptly when new, verified information becomes available. His coverage is grounded in research, context, and direct engagement with professional tennis.

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