De Minaur leads the local assault at the Australian Open

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In the upcoming Australian Open, the absence of the injured Nick Kyrgios, who will be actively involved on the sidelines, puts the spotlight on Australia’s Alex de Minaur as the primary focus of fans’ expectations on the court. While Kyrgios has often dominated headlines, De Minaur has steadily progressed throughout his career.

With Kyrgios taking on TV duties and an ambassadorial role during his recovery, De Minaur, Australia’s new number one, enters Melbourne Park after an encouraging season. The ‘Demon’ secured his first ATP 500 title at the Mexico Open in Acapulco, reached a career-high world ranking of 11, and played a crucial role in guiding Australia to a second consecutive Davis Cup final.

De Minaur’s achievements are noteworthy, especially considering his comparatively limited set of skills in a men’s tennis landscape dominated by powerful players with formidable forehands. Unlike many in the game, he relies on qualities such as leg speed, fitness, and determination, akin to his mentor Lleyton Hewitt, a former world number one and Davis Cup captain for Australia.

While De Minaur’s playing style has brought him success, particularly in still-developing phases of his career, he faces challenges against the top-tier players, as demonstrated by his fourth-round defeat against Novak Djokovic in the previous Australian Open. However, the new year started on a positive note for De Minaur, as he secured a measure of revenge by handing Djokovic his first defeat in Australia in six years at the United Cup in Perth.

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Sydney native Jordan Thompson secured a significant victory at the start of the new year by defeating Rafa Nadal at the Brisbane International, although the Spaniard faced injury issues during the match and later withdrew from the Australian Open.

Rinky Hijikata, a former US college player, represents another hope for Australian tennis fans, following his unexpected journey to the U.S. Open fourth round as a wildcard. The 22-year-old, the son of Japanese immigrants, has qualified directly for the main draw at Melbourne Park for the first time and will also be defending his doubles title with Jason Kubler.

In the women’s tennis scene, Australia has been anticipating the rise of a new force since Ash Barty’s retirement. However, injuries have hindered Ajla Tomljanovic from answering this call. A three-time Grand Slam quarter-finalist, Tomljanovic made headlines by sending Serena Williams into retirement at the 2022 US Open. After facing setbacks due to knee surgery, the Croatian-born 30-year-old is on the comeback trail, though she noted before Christmas that she is still about 15% off her best form.

Given that none of Tomljanovic’s compatriots are currently ranked inside the top 100, she might be Australia’s best chance in the women’s singles category.