“Basically, every kid wants to win over here, and you have absolute battles.”
Alex de Minaur is in no doubt about the impact his partial upbringing Spain had on his tennis. The 24-year-old Australian’s renowned competitive spirit was first harnessed on the clay-courts of Alicante.
“I think I learnt how to win matches from a young age here in Spain,” De Minaur told ATPTour.com this week at the Barcelona Open Banc Sabadell. “You play on the clay, you can play matches for three or four hours as a little kid, and whether [your opponent] is moonballing or anything, you’ve got to find a way to win.”
De Minaur credits those early developmental days in Spain for his ability to disarm more powerful opponents with his relentless chasing and variety of shots. Born in Sydney to a Uruguayan father and Spanish mother, De Minaur’s childhood featured two different homes, two different sets of friends, but also two contrasting styles of tennis.
“From a young age, I wasn’t the biggest or the strongest guy, so that allowed me to think outside the box and how to find different ways that I could win tennis matches,” said De Minaur, who spent time in both Australia and Spain throughout his childhood. “That developed a lot of different shots in my game. The drop shot, coming to the net, all these kinds of things.
“In Australia, when I went there, I was able to learn more structure, more work ethic… My move over there was at a time in my life when things became a little bit more serious, so that meant more hours on court, in the gym. It’s always been a healthy balance between the two cultures.”
It is not just on the court where his dual upbringing has helped De Minaur cope with the demands of the ATP Tour. His fellow Australian Nick Kyrgios has spoken about the challenge of spending much of the year far from his homeland. That is less of a problem for De Minaur, who has Alicante as a semi-permanent European base.
“It’s definitely a gamechanger,” said the Australian. “It’s extremely tough on all my fellow Aussie teammates that normally spend nine, 10, 11 months abroad, and barely get to go back home because it’s so far away.
“I’m a bit more fortunate in that sense, I’m able to have a base in Europe where, especially throughout this time of the year, I can go back to it and it’s kind of a home away from home.”
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Alicante’s close proximity to Barcelona also makes the Barcelona Open Banc Sabadell feel almost like a home tournament for De Minaur. He reached the third round on event debut in 2021 and his 2022 semi-final run was only ended by eventual champion Carlos Alcaraz after the Spaniard had fended off two match points.
“I think it’s a beautiful venue. I’ve played a couple of years now, and I had a very good run last year," said De Minaur. "Obviously, it’s closer to home, where the family is and friends, so it’s often a week that I get to see my friends come along. It’s always good to see them.
“It’s a place that I always look forward to. It’s one of the better venues on Tour. It’s a nice old club with a lot of history, and as a player you can cherish that sort of thing when you’re away for a long time in the year.”
De Minaur begins his 2023 Barcelona campaign on Wednesday against Alexander Shevchenko. Once he steps on to Pista Andres Gimeno, the Australian will try to channel the positive vibes he still feels from winning the biggest title of his career in February in Acapulco.
“It gives a lot of confidence,” said De Minaur, who beat Holger Rune and Tommy Paul en route to the ATP 500 crown in Mexico. “Not everyone can say they’re a 500 winner, so it’s a pretty good feeling to have.
“Now it’s about keeping the momentum going, trying to win a lot of matches, staying tough. Making your opponents beat you and keeping that same mentality and mindset that I had there in Acapulco.”
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