Turin could not be calling Alex de Minaur’s name any louder amid his current run at the Paris Masters.
It was a proposition many thought unrealistic given the world No.10’s niggling hip injury, stemming from a cartilage tear during his fourth-round win over Arthur Fils at Wimbledon and reaggravated in the US Open quarterfinals against Jack Draper.
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However, by defeating Draper in the third round in Paris, De Minaur has provisionally secured the eighth spot in the ATP Finals. His entry would make him the first Australian to play in the finals since Lleyton Hewitt in 2004.
Speaking on The AO Show Weekly podcast, former world No.1 doubles player Storm Hunter said she misinterpreted De Minaur’s motives for 2024 post-injury.
“He’s had an incredible year,” she said. “We spoke on the pod about his injury a few weeks ago when he was returning to play and I kind of mentioned that potentially his goals have changed and maybe not aiming for the finals with how his injury is.
“But it looks like he’s in great form and he 100 per cent deserves to be there and I really hope he can get there.”
Australian Open 2020 men’s doubles finalist Luke Saville believes De Minaur’s return to form is a testament to his development as a player.
“It’s just how Alex goes about it. He’ll never admit that he’s the player that he is. He’s just so humble. I think he’s just starting to realise how good he is,” Saville said on this week’s episode.
“He told me, when he made the quarters of the US Open and he came in severely underdone, he wasn’t quite fit but he feels like he’s going out to a lot of these matches and he’s already won.
“He’s got that sort of aura about him now, and feels like he can go out there and if he can play tough, he’s really just got a leg-up on a lot of these guys.
Saville added, with a laugh: “I told him that must be a good feeling – I’ve never felt like that in my life!”
De Minaur is one of two Australians through to the quarterfinals at the Paris Masters, alongside Jordan Thompson.
It is the first time two Aussies have qualified for the final eight at the Paris Masters since its re-inauguration in 1986.
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