Alex de Minaur is going to face Taylor Fritz on Thursday, knowing that his chances of reaching the semifinals of the ATP Finals are very slim.
De Minaur has lost his first two matches to Carlos Alcaraz and Lorenzo Musetti, leaving him with a bit of a mountain to climb.
De Minaur was brutally honest about his defeat to Musetti and has confessed that he’s got some serious soul-searching to do in his career.
Coming into the tournament, De Minaur discussed his saddest moment of the year so far, and his defeat to Musetti could have topped that.
De Minaur has claimed that there are some misconceptions about his tennis, and now a former Australian player has advised him on what he needs to do next.
- READ MORE: Alex de Minaur confirms top players in discussions with Grand Slams to force tennis change
Sam Stosur tells Alex de Minaur what his next course of action should be
De Minaur’s comments were very worrying to say the least, and he cut the figure of a man mentally exhausted and baffled about the way his game is going.
The Australian has lost his last 16 matches against players operating in the top 10 of the ATP world rankings, and that is a huge concern for him.
Stosur won nine career titles, including the US Open in 2011, and she also reached the final of the French Open a year earlier.
After De Minaur’s comments, Stosur believes she knows what the player must do if he’s to get back on track.
She said on the Australian Open TV Podcast: “I think the longer it goes, it becomes more of a mental hurdle than anything. It’s probably no secret that he doesn’t have some of the huge weapons that some of these guys at the Finals have, so he’s sort of up against it when he plays back-to-back guys in the top eight or 10 all the time, which I think is showing in his record against them.
“But he is one of them. He is in the top 10. He didn’t buy his way in there. He has earned every point and spot to make himself qualify for finals and be in the top eight in the world and finish an incredible year off.
“I guess it’s one of those things where you always want more, so you are there, but when you are falling short like he is saying that he is, and he feels like he is putting in all the work and doing everything, you want to get over the line.
“It still does not feel good whether you are six in the world or 200 in the world, you still want more because you are still going to be striving for more of what he is capable of.
“I think this is probably a good time to reset. Clear the slate. And not let those mental demons start creeping in during these matches.
“It’s only a match, but as a player, you can catastrophise them to be more than what they are.”
Alex de Minaur should lean on Lleyton Hewitt more
The Australian sporting mentality is to never give up and to squeeze every ounce of talent out.
De Minaur has that trait in abundance, and now he needs some help to ensure that he doesn’t become stuck in a rut when it comes to playing the top players.
Losing the odd match to the tennis elite is nothing to be concerned about, but 16 consecutive matches is a huge cause for concern for a player who has never been beyond the quarterfinal of a Grand Slam.
One man De Minaur knows from his Davis Cup duties is Hewitt, and ultimately, he could now help the world number seven.
Hewitt was never the tallest player and didn’t boast the most power on court, but he had a lot of heart, and that saw him win Wimbledon and the US Open during his career.
Clearly, De Minaur will have a strong relationship with his current coach, Peter Luczak. However, if Hewitt could spare the time away from his Davis Cup commitments, perhaps he’s the one to take De Minaur to the next level.
Receive exclusive tennis news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
