De Minaur 'getting closer and closer' as he shares 2026 goals ahead of United Cup

(Getty/Brendon Thorne)

Achieving one ATP title, two Grand Slam quarter-finals, and a year-end ranking of No.7 in a calendar year would satisfy most players, but not Alex de Minaur.

It didn't all go according to plan for the top-ranked Aussie in 2025, as "burnout" and a lack of killer instinct in the big games left him more pessimistic than optimistic.

HEAD has partnered with the Kooyong Classic for 2026. HEAD will be on-site with all their latest products, including the launch of the new Revolt Pro 5.0. Visit the HEAD tents at the Kooyong Classic from 13-15th January to do a fit test on the new Revolt Pros.

The most crushing blow for the 26-year-old came at last month's ATP Finals in Turin, where de Minaur failed to serve out the match against Lorenzo Musetti in their round-robin encounter.

"I don't know how many times I can deal with a loss like this one," a deflated de Minaur said.

"I just have to talk to my team and try to sort out these issues because these are issues that can’t keep happening.

"I mean, if I really want to be serious about taking the next step in my career, these matches, I can't lose them. I just can't.

"It feels like I've lost a lot of them this year. More than anything, it's getting to a point where mentally it's killing me."

A statistic that continues to haunt de Minaur is his head-to-head record against the two best players on the planet: Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz.

'Demon' is on the wrong end of a 0-18 combined record over Sinner (0-13) and Alcaraz (0-5).

Speaking ahead of Australia's United Cup campaign in Sydney, de Minaur is working profusely to change that negative narrative.

"I've played some very close matches over the years with both of them, and you feel like you're getting closer and closer," de Minaur told reporters at Sydney's Ken Rosewall Arena.

"You've got to work on your game, find new weapons. For me, it's finding different ways to hurt these players and trying to be ready to take more risks and be a little bit more of a disruptor.

"There's a couple of things here and there that we've tried to work towards in my team throughout this off-season to try to take the next step, and that's obviously the next goal."

He later added: "I'm ultimately trying to get bigger and stronger and just keep on improving. Over the years, I've gained a little bit of weight, which has definitely helped me. There's no substitute for hard work, so that's what we'll be doing."

Australia will face Czechia and Norway in Group D.

The Kooyong Classic returns to the spiritual home of Australian tennis from January 13-15, 2026.

Each year, the Kooyong Classic features the world’s best players in their final preparation for the Australian Open. 

The 2026 event will feature Lorenzo Musetti, Alexander Bublik, Nick Kyrgios, Karen Khachanov, Flavio Cobolli, Frances Tiafoe, Learner Tien, Matteo Berrettini, Hubert Hurkacz, Marin Čilić and Zhang Zhizhen, alongside Donna Vekić and a special guest appearance Daniela Hantuchová. More to be announced in the coming weeks.

Tickets on sale now through Ticketek/www.kooyongclassic.com.au

Hospitality packages can be viewed on the Kooyong Classic website and purchased by contacting info@kooyongclassic.com.au.