ALEX DE MINAUR may have a tough draw at this year’s US Open but the world no.8 insists he’s ready to make a deep run at the iconic tournament.
De Minaur is coming off a 10th career title in Washington and a last-eight run in Cincinnati. He could face tough first-week encounters with rivals Stefanos Tsitsipas and Hugo Gaston, both of whom hold winning records over the Aussie.
But first, he’ll face friend and fellow Aussie, Chris O’Connell, in what could be a searching first-round match-up.
“I know Chris really well,” De Minaur said ahead of the tournament. “We actually played in the [Australian Open] wildcard playoff, my first ever wildcard playoff when I was about 16, 17, and he absolutely bullied me on the court. I’m expecting a battle. I’m not expecting anything to be easy. He’s a very tricky opponent because he’s got a lot of different weapons and has quite a unique playing style.”
De Minaur is in a bullish mood compared to last year’s tournament when he was battling a hip injury yet still managed to make the quarterfinals.
“Last year there was a lot of uncertainty where I was even going to step on court,” he said. “I wasn’t really sure and it ended up being a pretty surreal week. Now this year I feel in a really good spot mentally, physically and ready to get going. I’d much rather be a top-eight seed than just outside. It’s definitely a different mindset.”
The Aussie, whose calling card is his astonishing court speed and indomitable spirit, has been putting in work on the track and in the gym ahead of the tournament, helping prepare him for the gruelling physical toll he can expect in the cauldron of Flushing Meadows.
“Workouts before the Open are all about fine tuning yourself and making sure you are ready for when the tournament starts,” De Minaur told Men’s Health during a chat at Flushing Meadows, ahead of the tournament. “So, it goes from working on specifics to getting a lot of work in the gym off the court, so you can feel confident once you step on the [court] in that first round match. You know you can go the distance, however long it takes, you’ll be ready to go. So, putting in all this work before the tournament gives me that confidence once I am playing that I’ll be ready to go, no matter what.”
Here’s a look at De Minaur’s workout in the lead up to the Open.
Alex De Minaur's workout
Day 1
- Fitness training
- Warm up 15 mins: joint mobility.
- General exercises for prevention of upper and lower body injuries + core exercises.
- Aerobic-anaerobic training on court or in the gym.
- Strength training upper body focus in one area (e.g. chest). Work with less intensity on other muscle groups
- Strength training: lower body focus in one area (e.g. quads) Work less intensely on others muscle groups
- Tennis practice – 1 or 2 hours.
Day 2
- Fitness training
- Warm up 15 mins: joint mobility.
- General exercises for prevention of back injuries + core exercises.
- Aerobic-Anaerobic training on court or in the gym
- Strength training: upper body focus in one area and work with less intensity on others.
- Strength training: lower body focus in one area and work with less intensity on others.
- Plyometric exercises – upper and lower body.
- Tennis practice 1 or 2 hours.
Day 3
- Fitness training
- Warm-up 15 mins: joint mobility.
- General exercises for prevention of upper and lower body injuries + Core exercises.
- Aerobic-Anaerobic training on court or in the gym.
- Strength training: upper body focus on one muscle group (e.g. chest) and work with less intensity on others.
- Strength training: lower body focus in one area and work with less intensity on other muscle groups.
- Tennis practice: 1 or 2 hours.
