Australian Open: Alex de Minaur forced to withdraw with injury

Alex de Minaur needed to be talked out of playing the Australian Open after a muscle tear left him struggling to get out of bed.

Alex de Minaur’s expression says it all after Australia’s No 1 in the men’s singles was forced to withdraw from the Australian Open with a stomach injury. Picture: AAP

Alex de Minaur needed to be talked out of playing the Australian Open by a team mindful of the young star’s willingness to risk his health for the good of his nation.

The Australian No 1 was devastated at having to withdraw from his home grand slam on Thursday due to a four-centimetre abdominal tear that left him struggling to get out of bed.

The 20-year-old remained determined to play at Melbourne Park but eventually listened to the wise counsel of those closest to him and reluctantly withdrew.

“Obviously I’m not in the happiest mood but it is something that happens,” de Minaur said.

“I aggravated a bit of an ab injury. I’ve just got to do whatever I can to make sure my body recovers.

“It’s serious. Getting out of bed hurts. It is not great. I am not going to lie.

“It is pretty devastating to miss out on my home grand slam. Even though it has killed me, it is the right decision.”

It is not the first time de Minaur’s determination to bust a gut when representing Australia has come at a personal cost in regards to his stomach.

De Minaur felt some tenderness in the stomach when coming from behind to defeat Denis Shapovalov in the group stages of the ATP Cup in Brisbane earlier this month.

He went on to play three more significant matches despite the injury worsening.

The Australian fell in a deciding-set tiebreaker to Dan Evans in a quarter-final before partnering Nick Kyrgios to an epic doubles victory to clinch the tie against Great Britain.

He then managed to take a set off world No 1 Rafael Nadal for the first time in his career and pushed the Spanish legend to the brink in a high-class semi-final.

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De Minaur, who won three ATP Tour titles last year and broke into the world top 20, suffered a similar injury in 2018 during a Davis Cup rubber in Brisbane.

Despite suffering a stomach muscle tear midway through his debut against German star Alexander Zverev, he was able to push the world No 7 to a deciding tiebreaker.

His Australian teammate Nick Kyrgios, who played at Kooyong on Thursday, was clearly aware of de Minaur’s struggles but urged him to focus on the bigger picture.

“He is a great kid with such a good heart and he is a hell of a competitor and a hell of a player,” Kyrgios said on SBS.

“The level he brought against Rafa in that match is only a flash in the pan of what he can become. He is so young and hasn’t even filled out yet.

“Regardless (of the injury) he is going to make strides this year as soon as he gets healthy.”

Patience when it comes to dealing with injury is not yet de Minaur’s strong point, as his mother Esther de Minaur told The Weekend Australian Magazine in June last year.

She said that when her son was sidelined with osteitis pubis for a period earlier in 2019, he was like a caged lion at home

Although it took some discussion this time around, de Minaur’s willingness to accept the advice of his team and withdraw from the Open is another indication of his growing maturity. His work ethic has made him popular among Australian players, with several immediately offering their support.

Fellow Australian professional Matt Reid, who is a close friend and has been a training partner, was shattered for de Minaur.

“(It is) never easy seeing such a great bloke having to pull out of his home grand slam,” Reid posted on social media.

“I saw first hand how hard you trained for it and I know you are shattered but get well soon. (There is a) long career ahead of you.”