‘Stop obsessing about rankings': Why Alex de Minaur is returning to Wimbledon wracked with doubts
Alex de Minaur waltzed through the All England club gates last year with a pep in his step after a surprise quarter-final run at Roland-Garros.
Twelve months later, Australia's best tennis player returns to the scene of his dramatic Wimbledon quarter-final appearance riddled with doubts and searching for answers.
De Minaur has candidly shared his mental and physical weariness across the past month, and his scheduling decisions and recent results – including a second-round exit in Paris – illuminated those words.
His confession about not enjoying a hitting session on grass with his fiancee Katie Boulter after his Roland-Garros flop was another reason for concern, and even took him by surprise.
'I was like, 'I can't remember the last time I haven't enjoyed having a hit on the grass',' de Minaur said.
De Minaur's response to that unfamiliar feeling was to take a few more days off, in the hope that would re-energise him for what is typically one of the most productive swings of his season.
That optimism was dulled when he suffered a comprehensive straight-sets defeat to powerful Czech Jiri Lehecka at Queen's Club last week.
The Lehecka result means de Minaur's calculated risk of prioritising more rest and training time over defending his 's-Hertogenbosch title leaves him with just one competitive grasscourt match under his belt.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Advertiser
12 hours ago
- The Advertiser
Battered Tommo needs Harry Potter magic at Wimbledon
Injury-smashed Jordan Thompson is pondering whether to quit tennis for the season after Wimbledon - and admits he could do with a bit of Harry Potter-style magic to carry his battered body through his favourite event. Australia's No.3 men's player was keeping up a brave face on Friday as he admitted he would make a late decision on whether to compete in his opening-round match against Czech Vit Kopriva on Monday because he's suffering a back injury. But as he revealed how he'd recently been keeping his spirits up by reading through the complete series of Harry Potter books while sitting injured in hotel rooms around the world, the 31-year-old battler smiled wryly: "If he could weave a little bit of magic, and just take away the back pain, that would be great ..." The season after his career-best 2024 has been no laughing matter for the 31-year-old, as Thompson reflected: "Ruptured plantar fascia right foot - thought someone shot me - came back two months later, then a little groin tear, oblique tear, herniated disc, and now problems with the sacroiliac joint in the back. Good times..." It's become so bad, with his recent retirement during Queen's suggesting the problem was only worsening, that he admitted on Friday: "I'll make a late decision over competing here. I'm going to practice today, see how it goes, hopefully it warms up, and then give my all and play on some pain meds on Monday. "But If it wasn't Wimbledon, there's no way I'd play - I'd have been on QF1 back home." What happens after Wimbledon is clearly preoccupying him, as he even ponders taking the rest of the year off from the brutal treadmill of the ATP Tour that left him slamming the crowded schedule as "shit" after his French Open exit in May. Asked if he would consider taking six months out and get a protected ranking, the world No.45 said: "It's definitely not ruled out at this at this point, but hopefully that's not the case. "But after Wimbledon, I'll have to have at least a month or two off. It could be on the cards, but hopefully not. "If it's not improving - six months through the year and I've barely played any tennis - so maybe it's my body telling me that it might be the right way to go. "Let's just see what the back does, and if it's okay to get going, otherwise I'll have to seriously consider coming back next season. I don't want to be playing in pain any more - it's getting too frustrating." Still, Thompson will also be battling it out in the men's doubles, hoping to go one better than his agonising final loss when he and Max Purcell lost after holding three championship points in the final. This year, he'll be playing alongside Pierre-Hugues Herbert, the French five-time grand slam winner who US Open doubles winner Thompson describes as "a better doubles player than me". As for his new passion for going through the Harry Potter canon, Thompson explained: "I'm not a reader at all, but I've seen all the films and I thought it was about time I read the books. "For sure, he's kept me going - from hotel to hotel room, and not hitting many tennis balls, I thought I'd have to turn the telly off at some point." Asked who his favaourite character was, the famously hirsute 'Tommo' mused: "Jeez, early days ... Neville Longbottom? I'm a big fan of Dumbledore, so maybe a young Dumbledore, actually. He's very wise... "Unfortunately, I'm not as smart as him, though..." Injury-smashed Jordan Thompson is pondering whether to quit tennis for the season after Wimbledon - and admits he could do with a bit of Harry Potter-style magic to carry his battered body through his favourite event. Australia's No.3 men's player was keeping up a brave face on Friday as he admitted he would make a late decision on whether to compete in his opening-round match against Czech Vit Kopriva on Monday because he's suffering a back injury. But as he revealed how he'd recently been keeping his spirits up by reading through the complete series of Harry Potter books while sitting injured in hotel rooms around the world, the 31-year-old battler smiled wryly: "If he could weave a little bit of magic, and just take away the back pain, that would be great ..." The season after his career-best 2024 has been no laughing matter for the 31-year-old, as Thompson reflected: "Ruptured plantar fascia right foot - thought someone shot me - came back two months later, then a little groin tear, oblique tear, herniated disc, and now problems with the sacroiliac joint in the back. Good times..." It's become so bad, with his recent retirement during Queen's suggesting the problem was only worsening, that he admitted on Friday: "I'll make a late decision over competing here. I'm going to practice today, see how it goes, hopefully it warms up, and then give my all and play on some pain meds on Monday. "But If it wasn't Wimbledon, there's no way I'd play - I'd have been on QF1 back home." What happens after Wimbledon is clearly preoccupying him, as he even ponders taking the rest of the year off from the brutal treadmill of the ATP Tour that left him slamming the crowded schedule as "shit" after his French Open exit in May. Asked if he would consider taking six months out and get a protected ranking, the world No.45 said: "It's definitely not ruled out at this at this point, but hopefully that's not the case. "But after Wimbledon, I'll have to have at least a month or two off. It could be on the cards, but hopefully not. "If it's not improving - six months through the year and I've barely played any tennis - so maybe it's my body telling me that it might be the right way to go. "Let's just see what the back does, and if it's okay to get going, otherwise I'll have to seriously consider coming back next season. I don't want to be playing in pain any more - it's getting too frustrating." Still, Thompson will also be battling it out in the men's doubles, hoping to go one better than his agonising final loss when he and Max Purcell lost after holding three championship points in the final. This year, he'll be playing alongside Pierre-Hugues Herbert, the French five-time grand slam winner who US Open doubles winner Thompson describes as "a better doubles player than me". As for his new passion for going through the Harry Potter canon, Thompson explained: "I'm not a reader at all, but I've seen all the films and I thought it was about time I read the books. "For sure, he's kept me going - from hotel to hotel room, and not hitting many tennis balls, I thought I'd have to turn the telly off at some point." Asked who his favaourite character was, the famously hirsute 'Tommo' mused: "Jeez, early days ... Neville Longbottom? I'm a big fan of Dumbledore, so maybe a young Dumbledore, actually. He's very wise... "Unfortunately, I'm not as smart as him, though..." Injury-smashed Jordan Thompson is pondering whether to quit tennis for the season after Wimbledon - and admits he could do with a bit of Harry Potter-style magic to carry his battered body through his favourite event. Australia's No.3 men's player was keeping up a brave face on Friday as he admitted he would make a late decision on whether to compete in his opening-round match against Czech Vit Kopriva on Monday because he's suffering a back injury. But as he revealed how he'd recently been keeping his spirits up by reading through the complete series of Harry Potter books while sitting injured in hotel rooms around the world, the 31-year-old battler smiled wryly: "If he could weave a little bit of magic, and just take away the back pain, that would be great ..." The season after his career-best 2024 has been no laughing matter for the 31-year-old, as Thompson reflected: "Ruptured plantar fascia right foot - thought someone shot me - came back two months later, then a little groin tear, oblique tear, herniated disc, and now problems with the sacroiliac joint in the back. Good times..." It's become so bad, with his recent retirement during Queen's suggesting the problem was only worsening, that he admitted on Friday: "I'll make a late decision over competing here. I'm going to practice today, see how it goes, hopefully it warms up, and then give my all and play on some pain meds on Monday. "But If it wasn't Wimbledon, there's no way I'd play - I'd have been on QF1 back home." What happens after Wimbledon is clearly preoccupying him, as he even ponders taking the rest of the year off from the brutal treadmill of the ATP Tour that left him slamming the crowded schedule as "shit" after his French Open exit in May. Asked if he would consider taking six months out and get a protected ranking, the world No.45 said: "It's definitely not ruled out at this at this point, but hopefully that's not the case. "But after Wimbledon, I'll have to have at least a month or two off. It could be on the cards, but hopefully not. "If it's not improving - six months through the year and I've barely played any tennis - so maybe it's my body telling me that it might be the right way to go. "Let's just see what the back does, and if it's okay to get going, otherwise I'll have to seriously consider coming back next season. I don't want to be playing in pain any more - it's getting too frustrating." Still, Thompson will also be battling it out in the men's doubles, hoping to go one better than his agonising final loss when he and Max Purcell lost after holding three championship points in the final. This year, he'll be playing alongside Pierre-Hugues Herbert, the French five-time grand slam winner who US Open doubles winner Thompson describes as "a better doubles player than me". As for his new passion for going through the Harry Potter canon, Thompson explained: "I'm not a reader at all, but I've seen all the films and I thought it was about time I read the books. "For sure, he's kept me going - from hotel to hotel room, and not hitting many tennis balls, I thought I'd have to turn the telly off at some point." Asked who his favaourite character was, the famously hirsute 'Tommo' mused: "Jeez, early days ... Neville Longbottom? I'm a big fan of Dumbledore, so maybe a young Dumbledore, actually. He's very wise... "Unfortunately, I'm not as smart as him, though..." Injury-smashed Jordan Thompson is pondering whether to quit tennis for the season after Wimbledon - and admits he could do with a bit of Harry Potter-style magic to carry his battered body through his favourite event. Australia's No.3 men's player was keeping up a brave face on Friday as he admitted he would make a late decision on whether to compete in his opening-round match against Czech Vit Kopriva on Monday because he's suffering a back injury. But as he revealed how he'd recently been keeping his spirits up by reading through the complete series of Harry Potter books while sitting injured in hotel rooms around the world, the 31-year-old battler smiled wryly: "If he could weave a little bit of magic, and just take away the back pain, that would be great ..." The season after his career-best 2024 has been no laughing matter for the 31-year-old, as Thompson reflected: "Ruptured plantar fascia right foot - thought someone shot me - came back two months later, then a little groin tear, oblique tear, herniated disc, and now problems with the sacroiliac joint in the back. Good times..." It's become so bad, with his recent retirement during Queen's suggesting the problem was only worsening, that he admitted on Friday: "I'll make a late decision over competing here. I'm going to practice today, see how it goes, hopefully it warms up, and then give my all and play on some pain meds on Monday. "But If it wasn't Wimbledon, there's no way I'd play - I'd have been on QF1 back home." What happens after Wimbledon is clearly preoccupying him, as he even ponders taking the rest of the year off from the brutal treadmill of the ATP Tour that left him slamming the crowded schedule as "shit" after his French Open exit in May. Asked if he would consider taking six months out and get a protected ranking, the world No.45 said: "It's definitely not ruled out at this at this point, but hopefully that's not the case. "But after Wimbledon, I'll have to have at least a month or two off. It could be on the cards, but hopefully not. "If it's not improving - six months through the year and I've barely played any tennis - so maybe it's my body telling me that it might be the right way to go. "Let's just see what the back does, and if it's okay to get going, otherwise I'll have to seriously consider coming back next season. I don't want to be playing in pain any more - it's getting too frustrating." Still, Thompson will also be battling it out in the men's doubles, hoping to go one better than his agonising final loss when he and Max Purcell lost after holding three championship points in the final. This year, he'll be playing alongside Pierre-Hugues Herbert, the French five-time grand slam winner who US Open doubles winner Thompson describes as "a better doubles player than me". As for his new passion for going through the Harry Potter canon, Thompson explained: "I'm not a reader at all, but I've seen all the films and I thought it was about time I read the books. "For sure, he's kept me going - from hotel to hotel room, and not hitting many tennis balls, I thought I'd have to turn the telly off at some point." Asked who his favaourite character was, the famously hirsute 'Tommo' mused: "Jeez, early days ... Neville Longbottom? I'm a big fan of Dumbledore, so maybe a young Dumbledore, actually. He's very wise... "Unfortunately, I'm not as smart as him, though..."
The Advertiser
12 hours ago
- The Advertiser
Perfect timing: Swiatek set for first grass-court title
Is Iga Swiatek finally discovering a real taste for grass-court tennis? The Polish five-time grand slam champion brushed aside last year's Wimbledon runner-up Jasmine Paolini 6-1 6-3 on Friday to reach the Bad Homburg Open final, her first championship match on the surface, and sounded like a woman at last learning to love playing on the lawns. "I am super happy and I was not expecting this. I just did my job and I knew what I wanted to play and I went for it," said a delighted Swiatek, who has won her grand slams on clay and hard courts but has never been beyond the Wimbledon quarter-finals in five attempts. "I'm happy I kept the momentum going until the end of the match. Jasmine, you can't let her get back in the game because she's a fighter. I just wanted to go for it, and go for my shots." Swiatek will face American top seed Jessica Pegula, who had to battle from behind to beat Czech Linda Noskova 6-7 (2-7) 7-5 6-1 in just over two hours. This is the 24-year-old's only grass tournament of the season ahead of Wimbledon, having opted instead to train for a week in Mallorca before competing in the German event. It felt like a big win for her against the buoyant Italian, as she raced through the first set in 29 minutes with three breaks of serve and then went on the attack to take a 4-2 lead in the second stanza. Pegula knows it's going to be a tough ask against a player who's "firing on all cyclinders" again. "That's why she is a champion and was world No.1. I hit pretty low and flat and that hopefully could disrupt the rhythm," said the American. With agencies Is Iga Swiatek finally discovering a real taste for grass-court tennis? The Polish five-time grand slam champion brushed aside last year's Wimbledon runner-up Jasmine Paolini 6-1 6-3 on Friday to reach the Bad Homburg Open final, her first championship match on the surface, and sounded like a woman at last learning to love playing on the lawns. "I am super happy and I was not expecting this. I just did my job and I knew what I wanted to play and I went for it," said a delighted Swiatek, who has won her grand slams on clay and hard courts but has never been beyond the Wimbledon quarter-finals in five attempts. "I'm happy I kept the momentum going until the end of the match. Jasmine, you can't let her get back in the game because she's a fighter. I just wanted to go for it, and go for my shots." Swiatek will face American top seed Jessica Pegula, who had to battle from behind to beat Czech Linda Noskova 6-7 (2-7) 7-5 6-1 in just over two hours. This is the 24-year-old's only grass tournament of the season ahead of Wimbledon, having opted instead to train for a week in Mallorca before competing in the German event. It felt like a big win for her against the buoyant Italian, as she raced through the first set in 29 minutes with three breaks of serve and then went on the attack to take a 4-2 lead in the second stanza. Pegula knows it's going to be a tough ask against a player who's "firing on all cyclinders" again. "That's why she is a champion and was world No.1. I hit pretty low and flat and that hopefully could disrupt the rhythm," said the American. With agencies Is Iga Swiatek finally discovering a real taste for grass-court tennis? The Polish five-time grand slam champion brushed aside last year's Wimbledon runner-up Jasmine Paolini 6-1 6-3 on Friday to reach the Bad Homburg Open final, her first championship match on the surface, and sounded like a woman at last learning to love playing on the lawns. "I am super happy and I was not expecting this. I just did my job and I knew what I wanted to play and I went for it," said a delighted Swiatek, who has won her grand slams on clay and hard courts but has never been beyond the Wimbledon quarter-finals in five attempts. "I'm happy I kept the momentum going until the end of the match. Jasmine, you can't let her get back in the game because she's a fighter. I just wanted to go for it, and go for my shots." Swiatek will face American top seed Jessica Pegula, who had to battle from behind to beat Czech Linda Noskova 6-7 (2-7) 7-5 6-1 in just over two hours. This is the 24-year-old's only grass tournament of the season ahead of Wimbledon, having opted instead to train for a week in Mallorca before competing in the German event. It felt like a big win for her against the buoyant Italian, as she raced through the first set in 29 minutes with three breaks of serve and then went on the attack to take a 4-2 lead in the second stanza. Pegula knows it's going to be a tough ask against a player who's "firing on all cyclinders" again. "That's why she is a champion and was world No.1. I hit pretty low and flat and that hopefully could disrupt the rhythm," said the American. With agencies Is Iga Swiatek finally discovering a real taste for grass-court tennis? The Polish five-time grand slam champion brushed aside last year's Wimbledon runner-up Jasmine Paolini 6-1 6-3 on Friday to reach the Bad Homburg Open final, her first championship match on the surface, and sounded like a woman at last learning to love playing on the lawns. "I am super happy and I was not expecting this. I just did my job and I knew what I wanted to play and I went for it," said a delighted Swiatek, who has won her grand slams on clay and hard courts but has never been beyond the Wimbledon quarter-finals in five attempts. "I'm happy I kept the momentum going until the end of the match. Jasmine, you can't let her get back in the game because she's a fighter. I just wanted to go for it, and go for my shots." Swiatek will face American top seed Jessica Pegula, who had to battle from behind to beat Czech Linda Noskova 6-7 (2-7) 7-5 6-1 in just over two hours. This is the 24-year-old's only grass tournament of the season ahead of Wimbledon, having opted instead to train for a week in Mallorca before competing in the German event. It felt like a big win for her against the buoyant Italian, as she raced through the first set in 29 minutes with three breaks of serve and then went on the attack to take a 4-2 lead in the second stanza. Pegula knows it's going to be a tough ask against a player who's "firing on all cyclinders" again. "That's why she is a champion and was world No.1. I hit pretty low and flat and that hopefully could disrupt the rhythm," said the American. With agencies
Perth Now
12 hours ago
- Perth Now
Perfect timing: Swiatek set for first grass-court title
Is Iga Swiatek finally discovering a real taste for grass-court tennis? The Polish five-time grand slam champion brushed aside last year's Wimbledon runner-up Jasmine Paolini 6-1 6-3 on Friday to reach the Bad Homburg Open final, her first championship match on the surface, and sounded like a woman at last learning to love playing on the lawns. "I am super happy and I was not expecting this. I just did my job and I knew what I wanted to play and I went for it," said a delighted Swiatek, who has won her grand slams on clay and hard courts but has never been beyond the Wimbledon quarter-finals in five attempts. "I'm happy I kept the momentum going until the end of the match. Jasmine, you can't let her get back in the game because she's a fighter. I just wanted to go for it, and go for my shots." Swiatek will face American top seed Jessica Pegula, who had to battle from behind to beat Czech Linda Noskova 6-7 (2-7) 7-5 6-1 in just over two hours. This is the 24-year-old's only grass tournament of the season ahead of Wimbledon, having opted instead to train for a week in Mallorca before competing in the German event. It felt like a big win for her against the buoyant Italian, as she raced through the first set in 29 minutes with three breaks of serve and then went on the attack to take a 4-2 lead in the second stanza. Pegula knows it's going to be a tough ask against a player who's "firing on all cyclinders" again. "That's why she is a champion and was world No.1. I hit pretty low and flat and that hopefully could disrupt the rhythm," said the American. With agencies
