A year on the road up close with Alex de Minaur: 'How fortunate I am'

(Getty Images - Max Slovencik)

Despite remaining winless in 12 attempts against Jannik Sinner after his latest defeat in Vienna, how fortunate is Australian tennis to have Alex de Minaur.

My year travelling the globe from Melbourne following the tour for The First Serve has coincided with the 26-year-old Aussie having the most match wins (54) in all formats combined since he turned pro back in 2015.

I have been up close and personal with the Demon more than any other year, be it courtside watching him live and interviewing him post match many times.

When I took off in early February our schedules have aligned on 15 occasions. Indian Wells (R16), Miami (R16), Monte Carlo (SF), Barcelona (QF), Madrid (R16), Rome (R16), French Open (R2), Wimbledon (R16), Washington (Title), Toronto (QF), Cincinnati (2R), US Open (QF), Laver Cup (2 singles wins undefeated), Shanghai (QF), Vienna (SF).

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The times I wasn't at the same tournaments were Davis Cup in Sweden (singles win), Rotterdam (Runner-up), Doha (QF), Dubai (QF) - when I did the South American swing, Queens (R1) - the only tournament this year that wouldn't accredit me, Davis Cup in Sydney (singles win and loss) - because I stayed on the road, and Beijing (SF) - I went to Tokyo 500, but when not at the same tournament, I have streamed him wherever I am.

Whilst many lament that he can't win a Grand Slam and beat the cream of the crop in the sport, I dread to think in the right here and now if he didn't exist at all. An Australian male in the top 10 of a global sport is a great achievement. Where is the next one going to come from? We could be in for a very very long wait.

Walking through the doors of all the tournaments that I have been at with Alex this year, I have at least known that an Aussie can be around the mark towards the business end of tournaments more often than not. It then comes down to matchups and it is well proven to this point of who Alex takes care of and the players who present the great challenge to overcome, with that task still ahead of him.

Hand on heart, there have been many times I have walked away from his matches with some disappointment that he couldn't elevate and take a big scalp (1-8 vs top 10 this year), but I do take comfort that he is not content. He has got this burning desire to prove the doubters wrong. How can you not embrace that.

A born competitor who is the best example to any aspiring Aussie junior, who fronts up with an unbelievably consistent mindset to go into battle. A fan base who admire that trait all over the world. I have sat courtside in the US, Europe and Asia this year listening to the oohs and aahs and the compliments that get dished out reguarly for his incredible tenacity and his amazing skill set which probably doesn't get spoken about enough.

Alex is an exceptional tennis player. Yes, it is not perfect in every aspect, but jeez it is impressive and at No.6 in the live rankings, it is so good to follow a player who just lets their racquet do the talking, entertaining fans with skill and athletic prowess. The added bonus is a great young man with exceptional values in the way he conducts himself.

You might read that and say to yourself, yes all that is great but he cant win a major.

Plenty of great players have not won a Slam in the big three era and plenty are likley not to in the current big two era, but I tell you what, I would put him ahead of plenty out there if a door opened.

I was asked on 'The First Serve Live' a few months ago in one word could Alex win a Slam and I said no in light of how good Alcaraz and Sinner are going to be for some time and being four years and two years younger respectively, combined with others who on the day might have the bigger weapons for the big moments. Since I said that comment I have seen subtle improvements and this is the great part about him is that he is not content. He wants more.

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If a door opens for anyone outside of Alcaraz and Sinner, in the near future, there is no absolute next cab of the rank certainty. Not in my eye. Are we trusting Zverev, Fritz, Shelton, Musetti, Ruud, Auger-Aliassime, Draper and Rune to name a bunch to rise to the occassion and actually win a major? Have you got all of those ahead of de Minaur? I haven't.

As a consequence of a player having (AUS) next to their name we support them and want them to do well. They are the starting point for any tournament we are covering at The First Serve. Let me tell you, I admire all of our Aussie players playing a tough global sport (more on that to come in another piece), but there is no doubt that we want more to rise to the top echolen and by that I mean top 50 of the sport.

It is amazing really that de Minaur has always felt a strong bond with Australia having spent most of his existence in Spain with dual citizenship. He left Australia at the age of five, returning at age 13, to be again living back in Spain at age 16 and a decade on he only returns for the Aussie summer of tennis and if we do play a home Davis Cup tie which are now few and far between.

How Tennis Australia wish they could have him at their disposal more based out of Australia to frequently be up close and personal to inspire the youth coming through, but tennis as a sport as we know doesn't allow you to spend much time at home, and more so particuarly if you are an Aussie and in Demon's case Australia not being his family roots.

As I was watching on in Vienna today, as he took on the might of Sinner, I was looking at Darren Cahill in the Sinner camp, just metres away from Alex thinking what if he became part of the de Minaur camp in the future. Taking nothing away from Adolfo Gutierrez (who has done an amazing job coverting a young boy into one of the biggest stars in pro tennis) Cahill has had the midas touch wherever he has gone elevating players to champion status where it counts most. I would love to see that alongside Adolfo.

I was also thinking to myself in light of 'The State of Play' segment we have been doing on The First Serve Live each week looking at the Australian tennis landscape and how we stack up on the global stage, can we at any point in the future on the men's side (in this case referring to Alex) find a Victorian, NSW, Queensland, South Australian, West Australian, Tasmanian, ACT, Northern Territory version of Alex and before that our last champion in the sport, Lleyton Hewitt?

Yes, he is Aussie, but not a developmental pathway success story of Australian tennis. He is so Australian in a lot of his traits, but he is naturally so European in his make up as well. We are so lucky to have him.

In the period of him being pro rising to the top 10 in the last decade, this is how the fellow Aussies have tracked:

• Nick Kygrios peaked at No.13 (2016)

• Bernard Tomic at No.17 (2016)

• Alexei Popyrin at No.19 (2025)

• Jordan Thompson at No.26 (2024)

• John Millman at No.33 (2018)

• Matt Ebden at No.39 (2018)

• Max Purcell at No.40 (2023)

• James Duckworth at No.46 (2022)

• Aleksandar Vukic at No.48 (2023)

• Sam Groth at No.53 (2015)

• Chris O'Connell at No.53 (2023)

• Rinky Hijikata at No.62 (2024)

• Jason Kubler at No.63 (2023)

• Thanasi Kokkinakis at No.65 (2023)

• Adam Walton at No.74 (2025)

• Tristan Schoolkate at No.95 (2025)

It is a great achievement to make the top 100 of professional tennis. There is still the unknown story to be written for a few in that group of where they could further peak to, there are stories of what could of been, realistically players that won't reach the absolute pointy end who are active and those in retirement who can look back proud of where they rose to.

The clock ticks quickly in a professional sporting career. De Minaur will turn 27 in February next year. His physical conditioning is a huge weapon and for the large part he has been pretty durable, but as we are aware his body is under a lot of duress with the physical nature of how he plays and how he will continue to manage his body going forward will be crucial.

In my role, I am not privvy to everything that goes on behind the scenes, but on face value for me parking myself courtside, you just want to witness maximum effort and he brings that in spades. Who is and wants to be the next Alex de Minaur in Australian tennis? A home grown group of players who could rise to the top heights of the sport over the next 20 years, inspired by an Aussie with a European make up trying to rub off on the Australian way.

Alex de Minaur regardless of whether he wins a major will leave a legacy in the sport and hopefully the aspiring youngsters across Australia are drawing inspiration to go after their dreams full throttle believing that anything is possible.

This week coming, the final Masters 1000 in Paris for the year to shore up his spot for the ATP Finals in Turin in two weeks time.

As a long time Aussie tennis broadcaster, thank goodness he came along, after having to talk about two players in particular for a number of years for the wrong reasons more often than not, which was draining.

Mum Esther would be so proud of her son and how he presents himself and of the current crop of players yet to win a major no one would deserve it more than the Demon if ever that door could open.

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