Alex de Minaur won’t be joining his teammates for their Davis Cup qualifier in Ecuador next month.
During a press conference at the United Cup, De Minaur explained why he won’t travel to Ecuador.
“Have decided that with the issues that my body has given me throughout last year, it was smartest to kind of just sit this one out,” said De Minaur.
How would you solve the tennis injury crisis?
“I’m definitely going to be available for the next one.”
Australian fans will hope to see their star man return to the line-up sooner rather than later, as the nation looks to win its first Davis Cup title since 2003.
But just how important is De Minaur to Team Australia, and how does his Davis Cup record compare to the legends of yesteryear?
Alex de Minaur’s Davis Cup record
De Minaur made his Davis Cup debut in 2018, losing to Alexander Zverev in five sets.
Despite losing, De Minaur had announced himself in a big way, pushing one of the best players in men’s tennis to a deciding set.
Seven years on, the Aussie has played another 27 matches for his country at the Davis Cup.
His current record stands at 17 wins, 11 losses.
Unfortunately for De Minaur, his defeats may be better remembered than his victories.
The 26-year-old led his team to two Davis Cup finals (2022 and 2023), but lost his singles matches on both occasions, handing the title to Canada and Italy, respectively.
- 2022 Davis Cup F – Alex de Minaur (Australia) lost to Felix Auger-Aliassime (Canada) 6-3, 6-4
- 2023 Davis Cup F – Alex de Minaur (Australia) lost to Jannik Sinner (Italy) 6-3, 6-0
Felix Auger-Aliassime and Jannik Sinner are great players, but if Australia wants to get their hands back on the trophy, De Minaur will need to start picking up wins in the big matches.
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Another defeat to Sinner followed for De Minaur in 2024, losing to the Italian in the semifinals, before he was stunned by Belgium’s Raphael Collingon in a qualifying defeat last time around.
A 17-11 record with two finals is respectable, but how does it look when compared to some of the greats of Australian tennis?
Comparing Alex de Minaur’s Davis Cup record to Australian tennis legends
Australia has no shortage of tennis heritage, with the likes of Rod Laver, Roy Emerson, and John Newcombe winning countless titles during their heyday.
Then, in the modern era, Pat Cash, Pat Rafter, and Lleyton Hewitt all proudly donned the yellow and gold.
Comparing the records of those players, and De Minaur, who was Australia’s greatest Davis Cup icon?
| Player | Davis Cup record | Davis Cup win % | Davis Cup titles | Years played |
| Rex Hartwig | 12-1 | 92% | 2 (1953, 1955) | 1953-1955 |
| Roy Emerson | 34-4 | 89% | 8 (1959, 1960, 1961, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1966, 1967) | 1959-1967 |
| Rod Laver | 20-4 | 83% | 5 (1969, 1960, 1961, 1962, 1973) | 1959-1973 |
| Pat Cash | 31-10 | 76% | 2 (1983, 1986) | 1983-1990 |
| John Newcombe | 25-9 | 74% | 5 (1964, 1965, 1966, 1967, 1973) | 1963-1976 |
| Lleyton Hewitt | 59-21 | 74% | 2 (1999, 2003) | 1999-2018 |
| Norman Brookes | 28-11 | 72% | 6 (1907, 1908, 1909, 1911, 1914, 1919) | 1905-1920 |
| Pat Rafter | 21-11 | 66% | – | 1994-2001 |
| Alex de Minaur | 17-11 | 61% | – | 2018-present |
Rex Hartwig has the highest win % in Australian Davis Cup history, losing just once.
It’s Hewitt who has won the most matches, though, emerging victorious 59 times.
He also helped Australia win their last two titles at the event, in 1999 and 2003.
Hewitt certainly left his mark on the competition, but that’s not to say he’s Australia’s greatest-ever Davis Cup player.
That title may belong to Roy Emerson, who won eight trophies in nine years, between 1959 and 1967.
It’s tough to pick for certain, but there are several strong contenders.
De Minaur likely won’t match Emerson’s feat of eight titles, or Hewitt’s record-59 victories, but there’s still time for him to write his name into the Davis Cup history books.
He won’t be able to do so in Ecuador, but should the team advance, he can try to correct the wrongs of 2025 and help Australia qualify for the Davis Cup Finals.
The 2026 Davis Cup Finals will be held in Bologna, Italy, in November.
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