Alex de Minaur would be the first Australian to compete in singles on the ATP Finals since Lleyton Hewitt 20 years in the past, after securing his place within the elite eight-player discipline in Turin.
Turin, Italy, 6 November 2024 | Ian Chadband (AAP)
After 10 lengthy months, competing at 20 tournaments in 10 completely different international locations, battling towards a debilitating harm whereas profitable 47 of 63 hard-fought matches, Alex de Minaur has eventually acquired his simply desserts.
He’ll go, for the primary time in his ever-improving profession, to the massive end-of-season ball, the ATP Finals in Turin.
The Australian No.1 acquired the excellent news on Tuesday as Novak Djokovic’s announcement that he was withdrawing from subsequent week’s showpiece ensured De Minaur, Andrey Rublev and Casper Ruud had been all assured the final three locations within the eight-man event on the Inalpi Area.
The sector is SET 🔥
That is the #NittoATPFinals Class of 2024 🎓
See you in Torino! pic.twitter.com/BraMV1YFm5
— ATP Tour (@atptour) November 5, 2024
De Minaur was scheduled to play this week’s ATP occasion in Belgrade however has since withdrawn, giving him a much-needed four-day break after three straight weeks of competitors in Europe.
And what a chance awaits ‘Demon’.
Djokovic’s harm withdrawal means the ATP Finals can be with none of the ‘Large Three’ of males’s tennis – Djokovic, Roger Federer and Rafa Nadal – for the primary time in 23 years.
However it should additionally imply there’ll be an Australian man gracing the top-eight showdown for the primary time in 20 years since Lleyton Hewitt acquired to the 2004 last and was overwhelmed by Federer.
De Minaur joins Australian doubles qualifiers Max Purcell, Jordan Thompson and Matt Ebden on the season-ending occasion.
The eight-man, week-long event begins on Sunday with the 2 round-robin teams draw being made on Thursday.
There can be, in fact, no straightforward matches for eighth-ranked De Minaur, with Jannik Sinner, Alexander Zverev, Carlos Alcaraz, Daniil Medvedev and Taylor Fritz making up the remainder of the sector.
De Minaur has a profitable file towards Ruud (2-0), Rublev (4-3) and Fritz (5-3), dropping ones towards Medvedev (3-6) and Alcaraz (0-2), and one-sided ones towards Zverev (2-8) and Sinner (0-7).
The ATP Finals gives a prize pool of $US15.25 million ($A23.11 million), with the singles champion having the possibility to earn a record-breaking $US4.8 million ($A7.3 million) — the biggest winner’s prize on the lads’s tour — if he can triumph with out dropping a match.
For De Minaur, the good information about his personal flourishing profession got here simply the day after he put his identify to the newly-branded Australian Junior Tour, which is able to now be referred to as the De Minaur Junior Tour.
> MORE: De Minaur champions way forward for Aussie tennis forward of Junior Tour Finals
It’s a part of the Sydneysider’s dedication, alongside Tennis Australia’s, to nurturing the nation’s future tennis stars.
He’s working with the governing physique to determine a scholarship program designed to help high-achieving juniors, guaranteeing they’ve the sources and mentorship they want.
“I’ve been lucky to have learnt a lot from my mentors through the years,” mentioned de Minaur.
“I need to cross on the data I’ve gathered all through my journey and assist younger Aussie athletes to enhance and change into the very best model they are often.”
ATP Finals discipline
[1] Jannik Sinner (ITA)
[2] Alexander Zverev (GER)
[3] Carlos Alcaraz (ESP)
[4] Daniil Medvedev
[5] Taylor Fritz (USA)
[7] Casper Ruud (NOR)
[8] Alex de Minaur (AUS)
[9] Andrey Rublev
