SYDNEY - Alex de Minaur, 25, is coming off a breakthrough year that saw him reach a career-high world No. 6 and the Australian is fired up for an even bigger 2025.
He won two titles last season and made the quarter-finals at three of the four Grand Slams, while qualifying for the ATP Finals.
A hip injury hampered him through the middle of 2024, but he is fit and raring to go again at the mixed-team United Cup this week in the lead-up to the Australian Open which begins on Jan 12.
"The way I see 2024, it was a breakthrough year, 100 per cent," de Minaur, currently ranked ninth, told reporters on Dec 23.
"I played some incredible tennis, reached a career-high sixth, reached the end-of-year Finals for the first time - but I still think I can do more. That's what I want, ultimately, that's what I'm working so hard for."
Bu hikaye The Straits Times dergisinin December 24, 2024 sayısından alınmıştır.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Giriş Yap
Bu hikaye The Straits Times dergisinin December 24, 2024 sayısından alınmıştır.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Giriş Yap
Rust prosecutor withdraws appeal of dismissal of Alec Baldwin case
The effort to prosecute Alec Baldwin (right) for the fatal shooting of a cinematographer in 2021 ended on Dec 23, when the special prosecutor withdrew her appeal of the judge's decision to dismiss the involuntary manslaughter charge during the actor's trial.
Stray Kids' album Hop gets historic sixth Billboard 200 No. 1
K-pop boy band Stray Kids marked a historic milestone by ranking No. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart for the sixth time with their latest album, Hop.
New entries to a hallowed catalogue: The holiday album
NEW YORK A holiday album offers musicians a chance to adopt or reinvent a classic format and show fans a different side of themselves. Here is a sampling of 2024’s releases, from singers exploring the standards to artistes rethinking the meaning of the holidays.
‘I was upstaging myself constantly'
Actor Jim Carrey comes out of retirement to play dual geniuses in Sonic The Hedgehog 3
Binge-worthy Gong Yoo shows fragile, vulnerable side in The Trunk
A gunshot and sinking of the titular trunk set up this psychological-romance drama led by South Korean star Gong Yoo.
Thrills and spills abound in legal thriller Juror #2, airport actioner Carry-On
The story: Hollywood icon Clint Eastwood's 40th directorial feature has a juror (Nicholas Hoult) in a high-profile murder trial weighing a crisis of conscience.
History is handled with care in Harbin
The period drama directed by Woo Min-ho is a handsome but reverent account of a Korean hero
The extremely offline joy of the board game club
When Ms Michelle Kong started a chess club in 2023, hoping to meet other players in their 20s, attendance was so meagre that she needed only one chessboard.
You may not need protein powder if you are eating right
But if it is necessary to use the supplement, choose one that has fewer extra ingredients
Exercise helps with almost everything, including hangovers
Electrolyte drinks, ibuprofen, a bagel overflowing with bacon, egg and cheese - everyone has his or her own way of nursing a hangover.