Reigning Wimbledon champion Carlos Alcaraz has tipped Alex de Minaur to make a deep run on the Australian Open, which begins at Melbourne Park on Sunday.
Key factors:
- De Minaur reached the highest 10 for the primary time in his profession this week
- Alcaraz says the Australian is using a wave of confidence
- The Spaniard is motivated by the prospect of dealing with Novak Djokovic within the remaining
De Minaur has hit the bottom operating in 2024, securing wins over Novak Djokovic and different top-10 gamers, Alexander Zverev and Taylor Fritz, throughout an unbeaten singles marketing campaign on the United Cup.
He additionally defeated world quantity two Alcaraz in an exhibition match on Rod Laver Enviornment final Wednesday evening.
De Minaur entered the highest 10 on the ATP rankings earlier this week, the primary Australian to take action since Lleyton Hewitt in 2006.
Alcaraz stated he anticipated de Minaur — who performs world quantity three Milos Raonic within the first spherical at Melbourne Park — to determine prominently within the Australian Open’s second week.
“He is [a] actually, actually good participant. He is in a very fine condition,” the Spaniard informed a media convention at Melbourne Park.
“He has overwhelmed Novak a number of weeks in the past. He has overwhelmed massive guys within the United Cup. I believe he is coming to Australian Open with a variety of confidence.
“I believe he is a participant to look [at] this event. I believe he’ll attain remaining rounds.
“Clearly, he is enjoying at dwelling, so I believe that’s additional motivation for him. I believe he’ll do nice right here.”
Ten-time Australian Open winner Djokovic agreed with Alcaraz, saying de Minaur was in “nice form”.
“It did not come as a shock to me,” Djokovic stated about his United Cup loss to de Minaur.
“I do know that he is able to doing massive issues. He is one of many quickest — if not the quickest — tennis participant we have now within the recreation.
“He is bought [an] all-around tennis recreation. He can play equally nicely [in] defence and offence. He is bettering.”
Alcaraz’s ‘additional motivation’
Regardless of being troubled by a wrist harm through the United Cup, Djokovic stays favorite to win the lads’s event, which might give the Serb a file twenty fifth main singles trophy.
His Australian Open file was famous by Alcaraz, who described the world primary as “virtually” unbeatable at Melbourne Park.
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The one means Djokovic and Alcaraz can meet within the males’s draw will likely be in the event that they each advance to the ultimate on January 28.
They’ve already met within the remaining of a serious, with Alcaraz prevailing in final yr’s Wimbledon decider by way of an epic five-set victory.
Second seed Alcaraz stated he was relishing the prospect of dealing with Djokovic in Melbourne.
“It is an additional motivation for me,” stated Alcaraz, who gained the 2022 US Open.
“I am an bold man. I at all times wish to play towards the very best gamers on the planet, to see what’s my stage.”
Alcaraz, who missed final yr’s Australian Open attributable to harm when ranked primary on the planet, performs French veteran Richard Gasquet within the first spherical.