De Miñaur and his philosophy for progress: "Sometimes I am too hard on myself"
The Australian wants to shine at home and get closer to winning a Grand Slam... and is fully aware of the only way to achieve it: work, work, and more work.
Alex de Miñaur closes another season in the top-10. Consistency, regularity, perseverance, and willpower: qualities that define one of the hardest workers on the circuit, a player capable of maximizing all his weapons and making improvements to his tennis practically year after year. All of this turns into a perfect blend that shields him in regularly surpassing his goals, approaching his ceiling as a player often and redefining his next objectives.
As a well-established member of the top-10, Alex knows that opportunities for improvement come down to practically microscopic details. Small solutions that allow you to find openings against the best, especially in big matches. In a conversation with Esquire, the Oceanian points to the mental aspect as the most important barrier that differentiates the absolute elite of the ATP circuit.
"You reach a certain level where everyone knows how to play this sport, everyone is super professional, and competes really well. You look for the slightest edge against your rivals. As you get closer to the top, those margins become smaller and smaller. You look for ways to improve, but it's tougher than you can imagine. Much of what I seek to improve is mental. I have to reach a point where I believe in myself as much as my team does. They have so much confidence in myself and my level that I must match that energy," confesses Demon, known for self-criticism and self-demand that few match on the circuit.
That self-demand, at times, can lead to self-sabotage, convincing him that he is not good enough, a recurring issue that De Miñaur faces practically every major tournament. "Sometimes I am too hard on myself. I don't give myself enough credit. I have to realize that yes, I am good enough, that I am capable of doing very special things in this sport, and that it's up to me to show them or not."
How to turn those words into action? The only formula the Australian knows is that of hard work, his great vehicle to reach the current position he holds. "My mentality is: improvement and progress surely won't happen if you don't strive and work hard. Yes, you may do everything right, and still, results may not come. However, there are many more chances for those results to arrive if you truly work hard." A philosophy perfectly summarized and encapsulating the character of Alex.
De Miñaur reveals how he has used haters' comments to his advantage and unveils the key to performing as a tennis player
That constant quest for balance between demand and pride in his work has defined the latest stretch of De Miñaur's career. A constant battle that had two matches he himself points out as very challenging: the quarterfinal defeat at the US Open against Auger-Aliassime ("I wish I had played as if it were any other match and not a Grand Slam quarterfinal," he says of that encounter) and his recent defeat in the Davis Cup against Raphael Collignon in Belgium's loss in September. How do you recover from such painful encounters? According to Demon, the key is to have "a fish memory."
"Recovering from certain defeats used to cost me a lot. I've never been the best loser. However, I've learned that you play thousands of matches in your career. Every week you face a new test and a new opportunity, so it's about having a fish memory," confesses with irony a man accustomed to breaking the barriers that the public has imposed on him. "Everyone has an opinion and will say things about you. I've used that to my advantage: if people don't have positive things to say about me, I'll use that as fuel and a desire to prove them wrong."
Finally, it is impossible not to mention his next big challenge: the 2026 Australian Open, where he will once again be the great local hope to get closer to a long-awaited Grand Slam. "It's no secret that's where I want to play best. I want to perform well in front of my people. Every year there are always expectations, and as you win a couple of matches, the outside noise gets louder. That's okay, it means you're doing things right." With just weeks of preparation ahead, only his maxims remain: who knows if the big surprise of 2026 speaks English -and Spanish- and is named Alex de Miñaur.
This is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, De Miñaur y su filosofía para progresar: "A veces soy demasiado duro conmigo mismo"