Alex de Minaur’s comeback from ‘brutal injury’ to Australian Open quarterfinal berth
To Alex de Minaur, there is no sweeter smell than the burning rubber under his heels. Here’s how the Demon was rebuilt after ‘brutal’ injuries and why he should be Aussie tennis’ poster boy.
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The burning rubber smells so good to Alex de Minaur.
Months in the making, the Australian finally feels free.
In the fourth round of Wimbledon last July, his right hip packed it in. The “freak” high tear to the cartilage and adductor longus came with little to no warning.
The loud crack and pop happened late in his fourth-round win over Frenchman Arthur Fils and forced him to forfeit his quarter-final against Novak Djokovic.
A slice of luck? You make your own luck!@alexdeminaur comes up clutch to win this point (how?!) before going on to win the breaker!@wwos • @espn • @eurosport • @wowowtennis • #AusOpen • #AO2025pic.twitter.com/ZEddGGR1HG
— #AusOpen (@AustralianOpen) January 20, 2025
His devastation was palpable. The emotion obvious.
The rebuilding of a Demon was on almost immediately. Rehabilitation, treatment, setbacks, repeat.
Sidelined for almost two months, then again for almost as long after the US Open, de Minaur has opened up about the gruelling recovery he endured in Monaco and beyond in a bid to recapture his trademark speed and movement.
When his sneakers first slid across the baseline of Rod Laver Arena as he opened his Australian Open campaign last week, rubber burning behind him, he couldn’t help but notice just how good his body finally felt.
“I would say it was brutal, both physically and mentally,” eighth-ranked de Minaur said of his battle to return.
“At some point I would love to open up fully about everything that I went through in that period because it was a lot but ultimately the people in my team, they know how tough it was.
“It was just brutal from not knowing what my injury was, to not knowing the timeline to coming back to competing with so much pain and inhibiting my movement for so long, to mentally having to push myself every time I stepped out on court knowing that my biggest asset, which is my movement, is not there.”
It was the harshest of waiting games. Days and weeks for there to be no pain.
“It was a bloody long process but I’m glad we’re here right now and we’ve passed the page, hopefully,” de Minaur said this week.
The tears of mum Esther spilt over on Monday night when her boy reached his first quarter-final at the Australian Open.
She had been on that long road back – seen his pain.
Two-time slam winner and fellow Australian Pat Rafter, who battled injuries during his playing days, praised de Minaur’s determination.
“Sometimes you’ve got to be really selfless and let the schedule look after itself but other times you can get through it (an injury),’’ Rafter said.
“Some take three to six weeks, the big ones three to four months, but when you’re in there, it’s your dedication to the sport.
“It’s not necessarily hard or easy, it’s that you want to get back on court.
“How hungry am I to get back on court? It’s hard if you don’t want to be there but it’s not hard if that’s what your dreams and goals are.”
Rafter said the “ripping kid” who was first selected as Australia’s orange boy for the 2018 Davis Cup had positioned himself brilliantly time and time again.
“Always a nice, respectful boy who plays hard, trains hard and wants it unbelievably bad. Wants to win so bad,” he said.
“Is (Jannik) Sinner hurting physically? Is he hurting? Does the draw open up? All these things happen in a draw in a grand slam to your benefit.
“Sometimes, if you’re always there, you’re always having a go like Alex does, there will be an opportunity of going deep in a tournament.
“Let’s say he wins it. Great. Unbelievable. This is (being) the poster boy, where he deserves to be. He should be the bloody poster boy. He’s a ripping kid who’s eight in the world.
“I don’t understand why he’s not the poster boy. Well, I do understand – I don’t get it. But I love him. I’m a big fan of Alex.”
Fed Cup captain Alicia Molik said de Minaur had never been content with making the top 10.
“We’re captivated as a nation because of the way that he diligently goes about his business on court,” she said.
“Australia loves a street fighter and loves someone who gives effort every single second and minute on the court. That’s Alex.
“They love someone who works incredibly hard. That’s Alex.
“Australia loves someone who’s a bit understated and doesn’t self-promote too much. That’s Alex.
“He’s an all-round great guy. I’ve loved seeing him develop and evolve. It’s unbelievable what he’s doing.
“I love the fact that he’s got his sights firmly set on what’s next. He’s not content with top 10. He’s made that really well known and he’s capable of a lot more.”
Then there’s what she describes as a “really sneaky smile” that belies his unassuming way.
Well-mannered, respectful, tough.
“You don’t see Alex fling his racquet or smash racquets,” she said.
“I love the fact that he’s grown, he’s continued to put on a lot of muscle mass, which helps his tennis and his movement now.
“But he can do everything and didn’t have the traditional pathway. He moved away overseas at an academy quite young. There was a lot of sacrifices from his family but that’s why he’s so respectful now and has this great nature.
“I think he is very humble and appreciates his involvement in tennis now, and it’s probably what sets him apart from a lot of other athletes – the appreciation to be doing what he’s doing every day.”
De Minaur has dual slam winner and current Davis Cup captain Lleyton Hewitt in his team.
Rafter and Molik acknowledged the similarities between the pair, particularly what the latter described as “the way they motor around the court and their never-say-die attitude”.
Always burning the rubber.
“He’s head down, bum up,” Rafter said. “He’s (proving that) every day you know what you’re going to get.
“You’re going to get a good performance and somebody who’s going to have a crack.
“I respect it and a lot of people do.”
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