Alex de Minaur: Time to focus on him like Nick Kyrgios

Credit: Mike Frey-USA TODAY Sports

Alex de Minaur is not the name most tennis players around the world expect to see in the Toronto Masters finals. But he was more deserving of a spot in the final two. No one could convincingly argue that De Minaur benefited from an easy draw. In the first round against 11th seed Cameron Norri, Taylor Fritz is his opponent in the round of 16. He defeats US Open winner Daniil Medvedev in the quarterfinals. Winner and followed by Alejandro Davidovic Fokina, who is in good form in the semifinals The final did not end as the Australian rider had hoped as Yannick Sinner won in straight sets. But that is still a sequence of results to be extremely proud of.

De Minaur has been slipping under the radar for a few years now. His compatriot Nick Kyrgios has long been in the headlines for a number of reasons. This article presents three reasons why the 24-year-old is underappreciated. And why should it change now?

Why is De Minaur less appreciated?

1. Awareness of his style of play

The Toronto finalist earned a reputation as one of the biggest crushers on the ATP Tour. This is true and deserves praise. Without a doubt, De Minaur is one of tennis’s best moving players. especially on the hard court which he was mostly successful. He paired his athleticism with a timeless attitude that saw him fight to the finish in every match, whatever the score.

But that reputation is one reason why De Minare hasn’t received the attention it deserves. that’s not fair Because the 13-time ATP finalist is more than just a fighter. It’s reasonable to say he lacks the firepower and sometimes outrageous flair that Kyrgios has. De Minaur won’t be near the top of the preseason list for most aces. Or there is an option to deceive.

However, this year’s Mexican Open champion has more of his game than he gets credit for. Although he wasn’t the most powerful man on the tour, he was. But he was still able to tear his hands off especially. As evidenced by the 28 winner he beat Medvedev in the quarter-final de Minar, some of the winners hit from a seemingly defensive position, turning their opponents’ direction. It’s always exciting to watch.

De Minaur’s tennis is worth watching. There’s room for the Kyrgios brand to serve big and score short. with incredible shots mixed together But the consistently longer batting of the younger Australians, with a mix of big winners, is also great to watch.

2. De Minaur’s Relatively Quiet Personality

De Minaur’s demeanor differs from Kyrgios more than his style of play. Along with the tennis he played This includes queuing up with the referee. crowd members And sometimes other players, Kyrgios is also consistent off-court. There are always baffling arguments with users on social media sometimes.

That’s not how de Minar behaves Every player, including Toronto finalists, was disappointed at times. but for the most part He remained calm and focused on the court, high and low. And not engaging in any exciting off-court activities, De Minaur let the quality of his tennis play be the deciding factor.

I have long felt strongly that many in the tennis world enjoy divisive antics both on and off the court. Instead of focusing on the tennis that is actually being played, The immediacy of controversial action is more easily absorbed than the complexity of competition. That might lead to a quiet personality that is naturally ignored. Jimmy Arias’ bizarre comment about Iga Swiatek being wrong is another example. This shift in thinking will have a positive effect on tennis and all other sports. There is room in tennis for the personalities of Kyrgios and De Minaur, and De Minaur deserves the same attention from the great tennis players he plays.

3. De Minaur’s lack of previous success at the biggest tournaments

The preceding two sections highlight the parts I disagree with de Minaur’s method of perception. But the seven-time ATP champion’s previous lack of success above the ATP 500 is a more plausible reason for his lack of admiration. Although I still believe he deserves more recognition before his run in Toronto. All of the previous 12 Grand Finals he’s reached have been at the ATP 250 or 500 level. He’s won seven of them in Grand Finals. Six of the 250 titles while winning the Mexican Open was his first at an ATP 500 tournament.

De Minaur didn’t reach the final at the Masters 1000 before his run in Toronto. The Australian currently has only one quarter-final to his name at Grand Slams, what he achieved in Canada should earn him a new level of respect in the tennis world. Kyrgios also has just one runner-up. both him and de Minar is the champion at the ATP 500 level. The more divisive Australian reached the Grand Slam finals at Wimbledon. But his compatriot reached two more ATP finals, de Minaur also reached a career-high No. 12 world rankings. That was a higher rank than Kyrgios had ever achieved, and he managed to do so despite being four years younger than Kyrgios.

Accomplishing what e Minaur has had in his short career so far. At least that puts him on a par with his compatriot Kyrgios. The quality of tennis created by players should be the main means of gaining admiration. Instead of acting antics on and off the court, As I mentioned earlier. That means the 24-year-old now deserves more widespread recognition.

Conclusion

Alex de Minaur is a great player. The final race in Toronto didn’t end the way he had hoped. But his run is absolutely impressive. The time has come for the tennis world to stop thinking about Nick Kyrgios when it comes to Australian tennis. De Minaur is the world’s worthy No. 1 Australian man. And after Kyrgios and three others withdraw from the US Open, he will once again fly the flag for Australian tennis at the year’s final Grand Slam.

Main image credit: Mike Frey-USA TODAY Sports