- Aussie injured his hip on match point in final appearance
- Told his fans he would be happy to play against Djokovic
- However, a worrying detail has emerged
There is mystery surrounding Alex de Minaur’s fitness as he prepares for the biggest match of his career after injuring himself in a win over his last opponent at Wimbledon.
The Australian No. 1 will face seven-time champion Novak Djokovic on Centre Court, with a place in the semi-finals of a debut Grand Slam at stake.
But the 25-year-old player is still sweating from a hip injury he sustained during his final point in the fourth round against Arthur Fils.
De Minaur is due to take to the court in London on Wednesday afternoon (early Thursday morning AEST). His match comes after the thrilling women’s quarter-final between Ukrainian Elina Svitolina and Moscow-born Elena Rybakina, representing Kazakhstan (10.30pm Wednesday, kick-off AEST).
However, he did not train on the indoor or outdoor courts at Wimbledon on Tuesday. It is possible that he hit elsewhere, but there are limited indoor courts in the area and the persistent rain made outdoor training impossible.
His teammates remained tight-lipped and refused to discuss his condition or training activities.
De Minaur came into action and secured a thrilling fourth-set victory over Fils, closing the match with an angled stop volley at the net after a forehand shot.
He didn’t celebrate at all, perhaps because he was relieved to have won after blowing a two-set lead at the same stage in 2022. It could also be that he knew at the time that he was injured.
Alex de Minaur is pictured giving his coach’s box a thumbs up after falling in his fourth round match against Arthur Fils – before injuring his hip while taking match point
Instead of celebrating the victory over Fils, Minaur was very subdued (photo) and cast a concerned look at his supporters
He walked stiffly to his chair, looking more like he had lost the match than won it, and then sat there for a few minutes in deep thought.
He said at the time, ‘It’s going to be okay. I’ll find a way. You can count on me to go out there, do my absolute best, and play my heart out.’
A few hours later he added that his hip was “a little red,” but “it was probably just a little bit of shock.”
That the 25-year-old will give his all is a guarantee, but for a player whose game relies so much on speed and movement, it would be a huge handicap to face Djokovic, who is limited by injury.
Coincidentally, Djokovic himself is still working on getting back to full fitness, after undergoing knee surgery for a torn meniscus just a month ago.
However, his mobility has improved as the championships have progressed, as he confirmed after his round of 16 victory over Holger Rune.
Speed on the court is a cornerstone of the Australian’s game and his chances of beating Novak Djokovic are slim if the injury robs him of his mobility.
De Minaur’s tennis star girlfriend Katie Boulter appeared concerned after his disturbing reaction when he suffered the hip injury (pictured)
“The knee is really – touch wood – really good. It hasn’t reacted negatively to the few slips I had today.
‘I’ve really experimented (with exercise) out of caution because of my knee.
‘The first few rounds I didn’t dare to slide and do splits that well, but the last few matches I managed it.’
Grand Slams are gruelling and Wimbledon has the added factor of grass courts. In a week as humid as this they can get wet outside and slippery under the roof when the air gets humid.
There were several withdrawals and losses due to injuries at Wimbledon. From an Australian perspective, the most striking event was the match between Thanasi Kokkinakis and Lucas Pouille, after a nasty fall.
Pouille gave up before he even stepped onto the field against De Minaur.
In addition, Grigor Dimitrov, Hubert Hurkacz, Madison Keys and Anna Kalinskaya are among those who retired during matches, while Alexander Zverev was still suffering from the effects of an earlier crash in his fourth-round loss to Taylor Fritz.