10 November 2024 | Sam Jacot, ATPTour.com

Season after season, Alex de Minaur has climbed the PIF ATP Rankings. From a top-30 finish in 2022 to the top 15 in 2023, the Australian will end 2024 with his first year-end top-10 finish.

Forever a fighter on court, the Australian has enhanced his physicality, shotmaking and tactical awareness in recent years. His reward? A place at the Nitto ATP Finals in Turin.

“I have just constantly looked at myself in the mirror and tried to find ways to get better,” De Minaur said when asked about his development. “It is what I have done every single year. Continuously trying to improve and get better and have fun ways to get better. It is never to be satisfied. Huge credit to my whole team, all the people around me who push me.

“Things just click. You look and try to find and tweak a few things until you hit the right spot and then the confidence works and it is a great thing when you are playing good tennis and high on confidence.”

De Minaur will need to be at his very best in Turin, where he makes his debut. The Australian, who has won two tour-level titles in 2024, will be plunged straight into the deep end on Sunday night when he takes on World No. 1 and home favourite Jannik Sinner in his opening round-robin match in Ilie Nastase Group.

“It is not rocket science but you have to be ready from the word go. It doesn’t get any harder than starting against Jannik,” said De Minaur, who trails Sinner 0-7 in the pair’s Lexus ATP Head2Head series. “From the very start, I need to be ready, I need to compete. It is going to be a great experience. A great challenge. But this is where I have wanted to be all these years.”

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Sinner reached the final in Turin in 2023 and backed that up by winning majors at the Australian Open and US Open in 2024. De Minaur is aware of the challenge he will face come Sunday night.

“Jannik’s career is still very young but he has accomplished so much,” De Minaur added. “The best player in the world this year. Playing some incredible tennis. Consistent. Has the best win percentage on Tour and it is all for a reason. He is a very tough customer to play against, so he has earned his way to the top.”

> READ: De Minaur’s road for a debut ATP Finals run

De Minaur will also play 2020 champion Daniil Medvedev and 2022 semifinalist Taylor Fritz in the round-robin stage. The nine-time tour-level titlist was full of praise for both.

“Medvedev himself is an interesting character,” De Minaur said. “We have played a lot of matches, had a lot of battles. I always look forward to those kinds of matches. I think we are both tacticians out there when we play each other. We try and put balls in certain areas where they won’t like.

“Taylor Fritz is powerful, cool under pressure and has a great serve. He has a lot of firepower about him. He has shown what he is capable of this year. Making a final of a Grand Slam is not an easy feat.”

Republished with kind permission from ATPTour.com.