There comes a time when even the Energizer Bunny needs a bit of a break. A sit down and a cup of tea, perhaps a chocolate biscuit or two. And Alex de Minaur is the Energizer Bunny of men’s tennis.
True enough, he has added a few kilos of muscle to his athletic frame over the past couple of years and that has given him more oomph behind his shots, but his game is still built on his ability to run and run. And then run some more. But even he runs out of puff sometimes.
It all came to a head at Roland-Garros as the likeable Australian faced Alexander Bublik in the second round. From two sets up, he contrived to lose a match that should have been his. He looked flat, uninspired and – dare we say it – lethargic. His explanation for the defeat? “I’m tired,” he said, simply. His batteries were flat.
He opted to take a break, to try to forget about tennis for a while. Some doubted his wisdom: taking time off in the busiest part of the season might not be the best course of action. But De Minaur – or Demon, as he is known – felt it was his only option.
Now he is back in SW19 feeling fresher, stronger and ready for all that the grass courts hold. He played one match at Queen’s Club (he lost to Jiri Lehecka) and since then he has been readying himself for Wimbledon.
“I’m feeling good,” he announced. “I had a little bit of time, obviously, from Queen’s all the way till here. Partly why I decided not to play a tournament is to kind of get the body right and now it feels at a stage where it’s ready to compete, ready to go. And I’m definitely very excited to get started. I feel in a in a very good space.”
With the benefit of hindsight, the 26-year-old, world No.11 can see why he ground to a halt in Paris. The Tour is relentless and even the most optimistic and enthusiastic of workers has finite resources.
“The way I look at it, it’s been a long time brewing,” he said. “A couple years on the tour, without having a lot of rest, and going back-to-back, finishing late with Davis Cup, starting early in Australia. Ultimately, it takes its toll, right? And it kind of got me.
I feel refreshed, I feel full of energy. And now it’s up to my tennis to do the talking, right?
“I was able to take a step back, accept what had happened and put myself first for the first time in a while. And I think that was quite crucial, even though it didn’t bring out the result I wanted in Queen’s.
“I do feel in a very good head space going into Wimbledon. I feel refreshed, I feel full of energy. And now it’s up to my tennis to do the talking, right? But there’s no excuses, whether physically or mentally. I’m I feel like I’m ready to go.”
Last year, it was all so different. De Minaur came to Wimbledon on the back of a quarter-final finish on the Paris clay, his best result in the French capital.
He was confident, he was playing well and he was at match point against Arthur Fils in the fourth round. And then, as he slid into a shot to secure his win, he heard a crack. He had torn the cartilage between his abs and adductor muscle. Even though he was now into his first Wimbledon quarter-final – and due to face Novak Djokovic – he knew the game was up. He was distraught and on his way home.
That injury took time to heal and he played in pain for the rest of the year. The mental strain of working through that took its toll, too, contributing to the fatigue that felled him last month. It also left him wary of his footwork on his return to the grass this summer but that initial fear did not last long.
“The first couple days, I was quite tentative,” he said. “But I’ve been able to really start to feel comfortable again and start to move the way I was last year, and not being afraid to kind of go out there and slide, which is a very good sign for me.”
Another good sign is that he feels at home here. Engaged to Katie Boulter, Britain’s No.2, he spends a lot of time on these shores and he knows London well. Add to that the hot, sunny weather over the past few weeks and De Minaur is in his element.
The Energizer Bunny is recharged and ready to go.