"There's a sharp pain with [certain] movements": Alex de Minaur battles physical pain and mental struggles in Paris Masters

Australia’s Alex de Minaur has revealed that he is going through a lot of ‘mental battles’ despite making a winning start in the Paris Masters. The 25-year-old is regarded as the most talented Australian player currently playing in men’s tennis in the singles category.

De Minaur registered his first-round win in the Paris Masters as he defeated Argentina’s Mariano Navone in straight sets with a score of 7-5, 6-1 on Tuesday. The win was an important one for the Sydney-born star who has struggled with fitness concerns this season which led him to not participate in few events.

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De Minaur has been recently quoted in a report where he talked about playing through pain in the ongoing competition. He stated that he is struggling with mental battles as well. De Minaur further went on to reveal that he is playing through pain to achieve the ultimate objective which is to play in the ATP Finals next month in Turin.

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“It's causing instability in a couple of different areas, so I feel it in the adductor a little bit, and a little bit higher up, near the pubis, so it's not an easy one,” said De Minaur. “There's a sharp pain with [certain] movements, and it makes it tough to go out and be my usual self, retrieving many of the balls that I'm so used to putting back in play. Now, it makes it a bit more unknown with what I'm going to be able to do on any given day. There are a lot of mental battles going on while I'm trying to play these matches, and I'm trying to find different ways of competing with what I've got. The end goal, obviously, is Turin and trying to make it there, and every day I'm feeling a little bit better, which is a positive.”