Alex de Minaur’s great leap: the mind | ATP Tour

US Open

De Miñaur’s great leap: the mind

Adolfo Gutiérrez, his coach, analyzes the Australian’s objectives

September 02, 2024

Alex de Minaur is having another sweet season. The Australian, No. 10 in the PIF ATP Rankings, was as high as No. 6 a few months ago, has celebrated two titles in 2024 (Acapulco and ‘s-Hertogenbosch), in addition to reaching the quarterfinals at Roland Garros and Wimbledon. This Monday, De Minaur faces his compatriot Jordan Thompson for a place in another quarterfinal, this time at the US Open.

One thing is clear, however: despite being 25 years old, the Australian is still constantly growing, something that has allowed him to make his way among the best in the world.

“To be honest, there is no secret to our evolution, just sticking to our most basic ideas and principles,” De Minaur’s coach Adolfo Gutierrez told ATPTour.com in New York before the Round of 16. “My father taught me that this is what daily work is all about, never giving up and continuing to believe in what we do,” he continued. “The goals we have today are still to improve in everything: to be a better player, a better person and not to settle for anything. In addition, to have confidence in yourself and in the big moments, and to train to be prepared, especially for the Grand Slam tournaments, which were our pending task.”

The De Miñaur of 2024 was not built in two days, of course. Gutiérrez, who has been with the Australian all his life, knows well what that process has been like to improve a player with a formidable base, but who through hard work has earned a place at the top of the elite.

“Since we started together we have tried to maintain a clear line that has been based on improving physically, maintaining his speed and above all his strength,” explained the Australian’s coach. “In recent years the work has been more focused on playing much more aggressively, seeking to dominate as much as possible.”

And on a mental level?

“I firmly believe that his great leap has been on a mental level,” Gutiérrez confessed. “Without confidence, without believing in himself, in what we want to achieve, it would have been impossible. We have been working mentally on many things and it is paying off and that motivates me to believe in it more, consequently it helps me to develop his tennis more and better.”

De Minaur, however, has a thorn in his side in 2024: he had to withdraw from Wimbledon before jumping into the quarter-finals against Novak Djokovic due to a hip cartilage injury. In New York, if he beats Thompson on Monday, he will have a new opportunity to try.

“We were unable to play the quarterfinals at Wimbledon due to injury when we were in great form,” lamented Gutiérrez. “After that, the recovery has not been easy, but luckily we are back and feeling better every day,” he added. “When you reach the quarterfinals of a Grand Slam you are always playing against the best players of the moment and it is very difficult. You have to be in your moment and hope that the tension and nerves affect your opponent more, and that things go well for you with that little bit of luck that is always needed.”

With that in mind, Miñaur has ambitious goals ahead of him, this season and obviously for the rest of his career.

“Honestly, we never set a ceiling for ourselves, and it’s not because we’re arrogant or pretentious,” said Gutiérrez. “I think that would be a mistake on our part. Then whatever happens will happen, but we will work to be as high as possible and stay there, which is the most difficult thing.”

“In the short term, the goal was to be able to be in Turin. It would be a dream after the injury and missing some important tournaments. We will keep trying, or at least be able to finish our first year among the best, which was the real goal at the beginning of the year.”