Despite his best year on the ATP Tour by far, the 25-year-old has endured an injury-hit back-end to his 2024 season.

Alex de Minaur tore cartilage in his hip moments before securing his first visit to the Wimbledon quarter-final in July.

Looking distressed as he wrapped up the win, the Australian was forced to pull out of the event, appearing next at the US Open, where he impressively reached the last eight once again.

A last-minute entrant to the ATP Finals after defending champion Novak Djokovic withdrew, de Minaur fell to Jannik Sinner in straight sets on Sunday.

Alex de Minaur highlights ‘amazing’ Jannik Sinner improvement

The Australian has unfortunately become rather used to losing to Sinner – indeed he has never won in their eight meetings so far.

In their ATP Finals clash, de Minaur initially looked sharp, securing an early break and challenging his opponent’s rhythm.

But as the match progressed, Sinner’s power and precision from the baseline became overwhelming.

With an improved serve and remarkable speed, he dictated play and kept de Minaur on the defensive.

Reflecting on the match, De Minaur admitted, via Punto de Break: “I started well, but soon realized it was not possible to maintain the necessary level to compete against Jannik currently.

“His ball speed is higher than that of the other players, he is very solid from the baseline, and he has significantly improved his serve. He possesses an impressive level of confidence and consistency right now. It’s very difficult to find flaws in his game because he moves quickly and has extreme shot power.

“I know what it’s like to beat the rest of the players in the group, so right now I feel relieved not having to face Sinner again,” he said. 

Struck by a single aspect of the Italian’s game, he said: “I am amazed at how he has improved his return. He covers the court very well, always hits with depth, making it hard to take the initiative, even when playing with a first serve.”

De Minaur next faces Daniil Medvedev, who also lost his opening round match to Taylor Fritz on Sunday.

Alex de Minaur should go for broke against Taylor Fritz and Daniil Medvedev

De Minaur has every reason to take risks against Fritz and Medvedev during his ATP Finals debut this week.

Not only does he have a positive head-to-head record against Fritz, he also defeated Medvedev at Roland Garros this year.

The Russian, who seems to be struggling for rhythm, is particularly vulnerable to de Minaur’s relentless style, which could amplify Medvedev’s frustration as de Minaur grinds through points and forces errors.

With the Davis Cup on the horizon, de Minaur can approach these matches as valuable practice and go all out, maximizing his ATP Finals experience while keeping an eye on the bigger picture.

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