Wimbledon 2019: Demon finding his place in history

When Alex de Minaur arrived at Wimbledon last year, he was welcomed into an exclusive club.

AUSSIES IN ACTION TONIGHT - SPT

When Alex de Minaur arrived at Wimbledon last year, he was welcomed into an exclusive club.

It is one that his Davis Cup teammate Alexei Popyrin was invited into last night when he walked into the All England Club for the first time as a main-draw player.

A corner in the northeast locker room at Wimbledon is a special place for any Australian male who earns a spot in The Championships. It is where the secrets have been passed from one great player to the next, where modern-day performers have learned about those who have reached the pinnacle in tennis in becoming a Wimbledon champion.

Australian men have claimed the title 21 times, with Lleyton Hewitt the most recent to do so in 2002 in a near flawless tournament. And de Minaur, who is the only seeded Australian man of the seven in singles action this year, has no doubt the “Aussie” corner has been a key to past successes.

“The amount of history and tradition and culture in that club is amazing by itself. And then you have all the little things that make it even more special,” he told The Australian.

“So many Aussies have done really well there. All the Aussies have an Australian locker room corner, so we are all together like a team. It is just really special.”

De Minaur, who opens his campaign tonight (AEST) against 2018 French Open semi-finalist Marco Cecchinato, has dreamt of playing at Wimbledon.

He was fascinated by the detail that goes into the presentation of the ground. For example, in the days leading into the tournament, staffers are armed with a utensil that allows them to pick moss from between the bricks.

“(I love) everything about it,” de Minaur said. “Just growing up, it has always been the tournament to watch. It is always special. It is always unique.”

The chance to play at Wimbledon first arose back in 2016 and he excelled when reaching the boys final, edged in three sets by the top Canadian Denis Shapovalov.

But it was not until arriving as a main-draw player last year that de Minaur was welcomed into “Aussie” corner. The Australian No 1, who reached the third round on debut before falling to Rafael Nadal, said fortnights like the one about to begin at Wimbledon are the most special each year given the support players receive from their countrymen.

This was evident during qualifying at Roehampton last week, with Nick Kyrgios among the Aussies who mulled around supporting those trying to make it through to the main draw, to bolster the ranks in the corner.

“I mean, tennis is one of the most individual sports out there and that is why Davis Cup weeks are so much fun,” de Minaur said.

“It brings out the team spirit in us all and probably the biggest thing that us Aussies are trying to do is to keep that team spirit throughout the whole year.

“At Wimbledon, it is one of the easiest places to do it. We are all supporting each other’s matches. It brings that team chemistry into a very individual format.”

The 20-year-old has endured a relatively lean period entering Wimbledon as he builds form and fitness after suffering from a significant groin problem.

He started the season brilliantly, claiming a maiden ATP Tour title when victorious in the Sydney International before producing his best Australian Open performance to date.