The burden de Minaur carries at this Australian Open, and why it won’t be his ‘downfall’

Alex de Minaur’s Australian Open campaign last year was on life support in the third round.

After losing the first set to Argentine Francisco Cerundolo, de Minaur hit a clutch reflex volley off the net cord in the 12th game of the next set to help him get to a tiebreak and avoid going two sets down.

But something even more important was happening in de Minaur’s mind. The pressure and expectation of being Australia’s leading man was weighing on him for the first time while playing at home.

De Minaur escaped in four sets on his way to a career-best quarter-final run at Melbourne Park, but dealing with being the great hope of a nation – and his own dream of being an Australian Open champion – is an ongoing battle.

“I assume, over the years, that it’s probably going to get heavier and heavier as there are more eyes, expectations and people wanting me to do well,” he told this masthead before his first-round match against American Mackenzie McDonald, on Rod Laver Arena on Monday afternoon.

“I feel the love, and of course, I’m in a great position. It’s still about me not associating playing at home with pressure. It’s no secret that there’s no place I want to play better at than here in Australia. I think it will be a dream come true to one day win the Australian Open.

“But at the same time, I need to, in my brain, not associate that with pressure because that’s the beginning of a downfall.”

De Minaur is instead learning to focus more on the positives of being someone the public cares about, wants to succeed and vigorously and audibly supports. The “perks”, as he puts it.

Part of the challenge are the extra commitments at this time of year, which means the world No.6’s preparation is unlike any other grand slam. De Minaur is everywhere, and usually with an entourage, plus a camera crew.

Anyone stepping off the platform at Richmond station on their way to Melbourne Park will have noticed the La Roche-Posay posters with de Minaur, whose “Weet-Bix kid” status has gone into overdrive as well.

He was also at Royal South Yarra Tennis Club on Tuesday night to promote his junior foundation, while he announced last month that he had ended his 11-year partnership with Asics to go all-in with Wilson.

In between, de Minaur fit in some high-octane performances for Team Australia at the United Cup, plus a top-quality exhibition clash with world No.1 and potential quarter-final opponent Carlos Alcaraz on Rod Laver Arena.

There was even a gentle stir about him skipping Australia’s Davis Cup clash next month with Ecuador to prioritise rest.

“I’m getting pulled in every sort of direction, and giving my time up for people, which is all part of it,” de Minaur said.

“It means putting on a brave face and not being able to [solely] focus on myself and what I need to do to prepare for a grand slam.

“There are commitments you can’t get out of, so it’s super important whenever I’ve got a second to myself that I do what I want and have some time to myself, to be in the right headspace going into the Australian Open.”

De Minaur said his evolution into the main man each Australian tennis summer was gradual, but that it accelerated in the past two years when he became a top-10 player and his credibility soared.

He spent most of that period with a single-digit ranking and is now a six-time major quarter-finalist, but his three-set loss to Lorenzo Musetti at the ATP Tour Finals in November meant he had lost 16 straight contests against top-10 rivals.

De Minaur was devastated afterwards and said he was in a “dark” place after squandering another opportunity, months after having Novak Djokovic on the ropes in the round of 16 at Wimbledon.

He rebounded to defeat Taylor Fritz and snap his losing skid against elite company, but said he still needed to improve in the biggest moments to take the next step he knows he is capable of.

“There are still moments on court when I have doubts, but that’s part of being where I am and wanting more,” de Minaur said.

“That’s why in certain situations, I’ve got to worry less, play more fearless, forget about the results, and focus on the journey and having the right mindset because that will help me ultimately achieve those goals.”

Included in that process is de Minaur stopping to smell the roses more often, something his fiancée and fellow player Katie Boulter has encouraged him to do.

They are getting married this year, which he is “super excited” for, and he wants to thrive off the court as much as on it.

“I’m going to turn 27 next month, which is crazy to think about, and my life is going to keep on evolving. At some point, there is going to be a family and kids,” de Minaur said.

“As a tennis player, I’m continuously trying to get better, but at the same time, there’s so much outside of tennis, which I’m very grateful for. I do think that when you manage to have a healthy balance between the two, and you are in a good headspace, completely at ease, it all marries up together really nicely.

“That’s when my best level of tennis will come, so that’s the goal – to kind of get into that zone. It sounds like it’s counterproductive, but it’s about worrying less about the tennis, and then you’ll play at a higher level.”

Read more on the Australian Open

• Aussie blitzes for upset win in opening round
• Lucky break for de Minaur as opponent pulls out
• Boris Becker solves a 35-year-old Australian Open mystery
• Inside Djokovic’s rocky relationship with Australia

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