Alex de Minaur says Australia ready to snap Davis Cup title drought
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Australia's Alex de Minaur during his US Open quarter-final match against Canada's Felix Auger Aliassime on Sept 3.
PHOTO: REUTERS
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SYDNEY – Alex de Minaur has said that his ultimate tennis goal is to win the Davis Cup, with the world No. 8 confident that his native Australia have the goods to secure their first title since 2003.
Australia have lifted the trophy 28 times, second only to the United States (32), but the title has proved elusive in recent years.
They lost in the semi-finals last season to Jannik Sinner’s Italy, having been runners-up in the two editions before that to Italy and Canada respectively.
Australia, captained once again by Lleyton Hewitt, host Belgium this weekend in a second-round qualifier at Sydney’s Ken Rosewall Arena.
“These weeks are the funnest in my schedule, that’s for sure, because it’s a very lonely sport throughout the year,” said de Minaur, who lost in the US Open quarter-finals last week.
“For me, the ultimate goal is to lift the title.
“That’s been a priority of mine for my whole career.
“That’s why I prioritise these weeks, no matter when it was in the schedule.”
With seven singles players and seven doubles players ranked inside the ATP top 100, Australia have the firepower to contend for a 29th crown and de Minaur believes that they are well-equipped to challenge once again.
“We know we’ve got all the ingredients,” he added. “We’ve shown all that we’re capable of.
“A couple of years ago, we were all probably not as good versions of ourselves than we are right now. Over the years, we’ve kept on improving, putting ourselves in good positions, and we gel really well together.
“I think we show the passion, and when it comes to Davis Cup, we always step up.”
De Minaur will be joined in singles by 40th-ranked Alexei Popyrin, with Jordan Thompson and Matthew Ebden on doubles duty. Belgium are spearheaded by world No. 46 Zizou Bergs.
The Davis Cup Finals will be hosted by defending champions Italy in November, with the seven teams who win this weekend’s qualifiers joining them.
In other headline clashes, a Taylor Fritz-led United States host the Czech Republic while Holger Rune’s Denmark meet Spain, who will be without Carlos Alcaraz. The world No. 1 pulled out after winning the US Open last weekend.
The tie between Canada and Israel will be played in a closed venue without spectators in Halifax, Nova Scotia, due to escalating safety concerns, Tennis Canada said.
Tennis Canada, which made the decision in consultation with the International Tennis Federation, said intelligence from local authorities and national security agencies indicated a risk of significant disruption to the event.
AFP, REUTERS
