Source : ABC NEWS
Some home cooking has proved just what the doctor ordered for Alex de Minaur as a rough year approaches its end.
De Minaur got Australia off to a perfect start in its Davis Cup tie against Poland, with a 6-3, 6-0 win over Maks Kasnikowski, looking refreshed from a surprisingly lengthy rest period after the US Open.
De Minaur’s 231st-ranked opponent was right in the fight in a 35-minute opening set, but the temperature was dialled up as he flew to a second-set bagel in just 20 minutes.
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On multiple occasions throughout the dominant performance, de Minaur took time out of his celebrations to fire up the packed Pat Rafter Arena crowd.
“We play outside Australia for 10 months of the year, so we don’t really get too many chances to play back here in front of a packed crowd,” he said.
“It was a great atmosphere and one that I’ve missed.”
While he remains an admirable ninth in the ATP world rankings, 2026 has by almost every measure been one of de Minaur’s toughest in recent memory (albeit with a wedding to British player Katie Boulter mixed in) as evidenced by him sitting 13th in the race for the year-end ATP finals.
He only reached the quarters of one major, losing to eventual champion Carlos Alcaraz at the Australian Open, before falling to players ranked lower than him in Paris, London and New York.
His most recent disappointment against 70th-ranked Botic van de Zandschulp at the US Open marked just his second loss in the second round of a grand slam since 2023.
De Minaur fell in the second round at the US Open. (Getty Images: USTA/Manuela Davies)
It came in a major tournament without world number one Jannik Sinner and with seven-time slam winner Carlos Alcaraz returning from a wrist injury.
Not for the first time, de Minaur cut a dejected figure as he lamented an early exit after consistently being a presence in the last eight in the past few years.
The 27-year-old also endured three first-up losses at the Masters and the only time he reached the quarters, his loss to Valentin Vacherot actually saw him lose ranking points due to a semifinal charge in 2025.
But the good thing for de Minaur is all that is in the past, and the jam-packed tennis schedule means there is always a chance to turn things around.
Alex de Minaur was tasked with starting the tie on the right foot. (Getty Images: Bradley Kanaris)
After the Davis Cup comes the Laver Cup in London, where de Minaur will lead Team World against Europe, with the Australian hoping this period can “springboard me back to where I wanna be”.
“I know the tennis is there, it hasn’t gone anywhere. I’ve just gotta step up and keep doing what I’m doing,” he said.
“It’s a different environment and I think I thrive in these types on environments, team competitions. It’s a little bit different to your day to day on tour.
“The pressure is different. I’d say it’s probably more in team events because you’re not just playing for yourself, you’re playing for the boys around you and I think that brings out the best in me.”
