‘It gives me a huge edge’: Why new, improved Demon is feared ahead of Wimbledon

Alex de Minaur remembers the figurative and patronising pats on the back.

There was widespread admiration for what he had achieved as recently as two years ago, but often because those same people believed he was not quite good enough.

Alex de Minaur is one of the best grasscourt players in the world.

Fuelled by the doubters, Australia’s best tennis player – who calls himself his harshest critic – had to first win his own mind over. He has done that and more in an incredible 20-month period where he transformed from a relative also-ran into a top-10 star with legitimate grand slam title claims.

With that has come a new “aura” around him, as he puts it, as the narrative dramatically shifts.

De Minaur, armed with dynamite speed, elite returning skills, a bulked-up serve and an ever-improving forehand, has, perhaps, his best chance to shock the world at Wimbledon across the next fortnight, even if some sceptics remain.

“I feel like I’ve heard that my whole career. In a way, it’s the beauty of it. It’s what makes [my success] sweeter now,” de Minaur told this masthead on tournament eve, overlooking Wimbledon’s perfectly manicured court 18.

“I heard plenty of times all the reasons why I can’t be one of the best players in the world. It was always, ‘He’s not strong enough’, ‘He’s not aggressive enough’, ‘He’s got no weapons’ and ‘Just running ain’t going to cut it’.

“I love proving people wrong and ultimately, that’s what I’m trying to do – just keep on improving. I knew my career was never going to be just one day I wake up, and I’m a top-10 player.

“I knew it was going to be gradual and a lot of work and improvement, but it makes being where I am much sweeter – and still people are saying that it’s my peak, so I’m going to enjoy proving people wrong [again].”

Daniil Medvedev has been a central figure in Alex de Minaur’s steep rise.

The Medvedev turning point

The 25-year-old’s drought-busting victory over Daniil Medvedev at the Paris Masters in November 2022 was a sliding doors moment in a career that has taken off since.

It may have been largely inconsequential for Medvedev, but de Minaur’s breakthrough triumph at his 19th try against a top-five rival was the impetus for him to join the tour’s elite.

Fittingly, the world No.9 upset Medvedev again at Roland-Garros last month to reach the quarter-finals at the claycourt major for the first time. He had won only three of his 10 matches in Paris before his last-eight appearance, but is making a habit of breaking through barriers.

In between those Medvedev wins, de Minaur boasts 10 other top-10 scalps, on top of victories over Stefanos Tsitsipas and Casper Ruud – who were ranked 12th and 11th, respectively, at the time – during his Acapulco title run in March.

He soared as high as No.7 in the world after his ’s-Hertogenbosch title win following Roland-Garros before a surprise early defeat to Lorenzo Musetti at Queen’s Club that could actually be a blessing in disguise.

“I definitely feel like I’ve earned the respect from my peers and competitors,” de Minaur said.

“It’s the same way I respect players doing well because you know how hard it is, week in and week out, to put up those numbers and reach those highs. It’s like a domino effect.

“Everyone realises and gives you kudos and respect, and all of a sudden you go from a player who wasn’t, I guess, too feared to someone that [people think], ‘Geez, he’s top 10, he means business’.”

The British love match

De Minaur has always adored Wimbledon, helped by reaching the junior final in 2016, but the event arguably means even more to him these days because he owns a home in London with his British girlfriend and fellow player Katie Boulter.

That love match has increasingly dominated headlines, put into overdrive by them twice this year winning singles titles in the same week. The Australian star even fielded lighthearted questions ahead of this year’s Australian Open on when he would ask Boulter to marry him.

De Minaur told this masthead in March that Boulter had helped him gain greater perspective in life and tennis, given how hard he used to, and still can, be on himself in defeat.

Alex de Minaur and Katie Boulter have become one of tennis’ power couples.

“I love Wimbledon, and it’s always been special. It’s one of those childhood dreams to do well here,” he said.

“If anything, [my relationship with Boulter] will create more of a narrative, more of a story, and I might even get some of the Brits on my side, which would be nice. If both Katie and I could go out this ‘Wimby’ and have a deep run, I think it would be very special.”

His Wimbledon title hopes

De Minaur’s first task is to get past countryman James Duckworth, a lucky loser from qualifying and one of the many more seasoned Australian players who helped his teenage self in his formative years.

Just to survive the first week, he will also likely have to beat in-form British wildcard Billy Harris and 17th-seeded Canadian Felix Auger-Aliassime, who has a 2-1 head-to-head record over the Australian.

However, de Minaur has not looked beyond Duckworth, a mindset borne out of past grand slam experiences, including a tough defeat to Italian Matteo Berrettini in the second round at Wimbledon last year.

The No.9 seed believes he has taken “a substantial step in the right direction” since last playing in London and enters this year’s event far more relaxed and confident.

“I think it’s a big step from kind of that 15 to 20 [ranking], to breaking into the top 10 … you actually need to have big runs at the bigger events because if not, it’s just too many points to try and get,” de Minaur said.

“But confidence-wise, mentality-wise, I’ve gone from going into certain matches with maybe like a 15 per cent chance of thinking that I could win, to any match that I step out on – doesn’t matter who I’m playing – I genuinely think there’s a 50-50 chance.

“That’s the biggest difference. It gives me a huge edge to play these types of matches, which in the past, I was probably already behind the eight-ball, just because I didn’t quite believe it as much. But the results that I’ve shown, I’ve shown myself that I’m good enough to beat these guys.”

Marc McGowan is at Wimbledon with the support of Tennis Australia

Watch Wimbledon 2024 from July 1 live and exclusively free on Nine and 9Now with every match streaming ad-free, live and on demand with centre court in 4K on Stan Sport.