SYDNEY/WASHINGTON, December 31, 2025 (by Michael Dickens)
Alex de Minaur has returned home to Australia and is determined to make this summer count. The 26-year-old Sydney native would like nothing better than to improve upon his quarterfinal finish at the 2025 Australian Open, where he strung together a quartet of quality victories before losing to eventual champion Jannik Sinner in straight sets.
The first major of the 2026 tennis season begins in less than three weeks and the Aussie No. 1 appears ready to go.
“It’s no secret that the Australian Open is where I most want to play well,” de Minaur revealed in an Esquire Australia cover story. “I want to play well in front of my people.”
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During a recent gathering with reporters at Sydney’s Ken Rosewall Arena, where he’s been preparing for the 2026 United Cup mixed-team event, de Minaur said he’s learned a lot about himself as well as how to manage expectations.
De Minaur has enjoyed past success of playing in the United Cup representing Australia. Among his past victories are wins over a pair of former World No. 1s, Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal. This year, he and World No. 32 Maya Joint, the top Australian women’s player, will lead the Aussies in Group D play in Sydney. They open against Norway Saturday evening and that means de Minaur will face World No. 12 Casper Ruud in his very first match of the 2026 season. He’s 2-0 lifetime in tour-level matches against the Norwegian No. 1. On Jan. 6, de Minaur will face World No. 19 Jakub Mensik of Czechia, looking to improve to 5-0 against the #NextGenATP rising star.
The Demon and The Ninja
Coming soon to #UnitedCup pic.twitter.com/pBMmAYUB2S
— TennisAustralia (@TennisAustralia) December 31, 2025
“The Australian fans are passionate. They love their sport,” de Minaur said. “They’re the best fans in the world and ultimately for myself and any Aussies competing, there’s nothing you want to do more than play well here at home in front of our fans.”
During a flurry of off-season activity, de Minaur was awarded the 2025 Newcombe Medal, celebrating his outstanding achievements on the global tennis stage. Among de Minaur’s 2025 highlights, he won his 10th ATP Tour singles title at the Mubadala Citi DC Open, led the ATP Tour with 43 hard-court victories, and qualified for the Nitto ATP Finals, where he reached the semifinals before losing to Sinner. He finished the 2025 season ranked World No. 7, a career-best ranking. De Minaur, nicknamed the Demon, also won the UTS London Grand Final for the second straight year.
Recently, the Sydneysider and his fiancée, British pro tennis player Katie Boulter, spent the holidays volunteering at a homelessness charity. He also graced the January 2026 cover of Esquire Australia, trading his tennis kit for a stylish, tailored Ralph Lauren look. Earlier this week, de Minaur revealed he’s leaving Asics, his apparel sponsor since 2019, to become a Wilson sportswear athlete.
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“For me to bring my best tennis, ultimately, I need to be able to switch off when I’m off the court, right?” said de Minaur, who has been known for his on-court speed and unwavering focus. “As soon as I leave the site, I try to switch off. I try to go for nice dinners, get a coffee, go for a little wander. That’s my way of making sure I don’t burn out by the end of the year.
“For me, that’s going to help me make sure that once I step on court, I’m all ready to go.”
Breaking kit news: Alex de Minaur is moving on from Asics to Wilson. The brand has done a tremendous job with their women’s kits and I suspect they’ll cook up something exciting on the men’s side for Alex. pic.twitter.com/ODgBU6YfZw
— Jessica Schiffer (@jessicaschiffer) December 30, 2025
Looking ahead to the 2026 season, de Minaur said he’s knows that in order for him to be able move further up the rankings he has to be able to shrink the gap. That means, being able to beat Carlos Alcaraz and Sinner, currently the World No. 1 and World No. 2 players in men’s tennis, whom he is a combined 0-18 lifetime against.
“There’s no other way than getting better, right?” said de Minaur. “That’s what it is. You ultimately have to bridge that gap.
“I’ve played some very close matches over the years with both of them and you feel like you’re getting closer and closer. That’s what it is.
”You’ve got to work on your game, find new weapons. For me it’s finding different ways to hurt these players, right? So, I’m trying to be ready to take more risks, right? And be a little bit more of a disruptor.”
#UnitedCup practice mode pic.twitter.com/jWSWRDBxdE
— United Cup (@UnitedCupTennis) December 30, 2025
To add to de Minaur’s speed and focus, he’s also been working on improving his strength and conditioning, which he feels will help to power his on-court play. “Ultimately, [I’ve been] trying to get bigger and stronger and just keep on improving.
“I think over the years, I’ve gained a little bit of weight which has definitely helped me. I mean, there’s no substitute for hard work.”
