Alex de Minaur, Alexei Popyrin, Jordan Thompson and Nick Kyrgios chatted to the media on Friday at Australian Open 2025 looms nearer.
Melbourne, VIC, Australia, 10 January 2025 | Sean A’Hearn
With three seeded gamers on the Australian Open for the primary time since 1982, Australian males’s tennis is in a great place.
Main the cost because the top-seeded Aussie, Alex de Minaur is seeking to proceed his regular rise as a participant this fortnight in Melbourne.
“Each time I come right here to the Australian Open, I really feel like I’m a greater model of what I used to be the 12 months earlier than,” the eighth seed mentioned on Friday’s media day at AO 2025.
“I’ve learnt a lot. I’m taking part in with much more confidence. I’m doing all the suitable issues.”
Regardless of all of the stress and the highlight on the 23-year-old, his preparation stays the identical.
“My job is to stroll on court docket and do my greatest to win tennis matches, basically,” he mentioned.
“I nonetheless have the identical prep. I’m very lucky that I’ve an awesome group round me that we will form of deal with our personal little bubble.”
Again on the Australian Open for the primary time since 2022, Nick Kyrgios was buoyant in regards to the depth of the boys’s sport in Australia.
“I imply, males’s tennis in Australia proper now’s ridiculously sturdy – we’ve a number of gamers,” Kyrgios mentioned.
Whereas praising De Minaur – “I genuinely suppose he’s a menace at any Grand Slam and any match he performs” – Kyrgios believes he can also nonetheless compete with one of the best after being out of the sport for one of the best a part of 18 months.
“I at all times have utmost confidence in my capacity. If I’m taking part in my model of tennis, my unpredictability, I’ve an opportunity in opposition to anybody,” he mentioned.
“That’s the mindset it is advisable to have in opposition to these individuals.”
Seeded for the primary time on the Australian Open, twenty fifth seed Alexei Popyrin is concentrated on getting previous the third spherical, which he has but to do at Melbourne Park.
“We’re making an attempt to get previous that third-round hump,” he mentioned.
“We’re simply making an attempt to make it to the second week for the primary time right here. That’s the principle objective for the 12 months.”
Off the again of a break-out season in 2024, notably the again finish of the 12 months the place he received his maiden Masters 1000 title in Canada and beat Novak Djokovic on the US Open, Popyrin credit the Paris Olympics with sparking his latest run.
“It simply all kind of clicked after the Olympics, ranging from Montreal,” he mentioned.
“It simply form of clicked, and all the pieces simply felt nice once we had been on the market on the court docket. I form of knew what I used to be doing.”
Having additionally picked up a seed for the primary time on the Australian Open, twenty seventh seed Jordan Thompson attributes his Grand Slam seeding to an increasing all-court sport.
“Mentality on the court docket … I’m making an attempt to be extra aggressive,” he mentioned.
“I’m making an attempt to make use of all of the features of the sport to win factors. Making an attempt to push ahead to the online as a lot as I can. Received to make use of my velocity and volleys to my benefit.”
Combining each doubles and singles to nice success in 2024, Thompson believes taking part in doubles has improved his singles sport.
“In singles, it simply looks like I’ve received an ocean to hit into, particularly on returns,” he mentioned.
With 14 native males set to compete in the principle draw, it’s an thrilling time to be an Aussie tennis fan.
