De Minaur eyeing ‘bigger and better things’ heading to Rotterdam

Alex de Minaur will be looking to build on his newfound ATP Tour success when he lines up at the Rotterdam Open this week.

The Australian arrives in the Netherlands having made the quarter-finals of the last four Grand Slams, while he sits comfortably inside the world’s top 10.

After an Australian Open campaign that ended in the last eight at the hands of eventual champion Jannik Sinner, de Minaur is eager to keep his strong results going at the year’s first ATP 500 event.

“I think showing the consistency of making the quarters in the last four Slams is something that I don’t take lightly by any means,” he said on Monday.

“I think it’s a great platform to build on. I want more.”

Tennis betting sites have him at +650 to win the title in Rotterdam, behind favourites Carlos Alcaraz (+170) and Daniil Medvedev (+360).

But de Minaur believes he has improved significantly since this time last year and has a live shot at claiming his first trophy of the season this week.

“I do feel like I’ve taken big steps in the right direction in the last year,” he said.

“I’ve improved as a player.

“Last year, a lot of stuff happened, I was injured for a lot of the year and I still managed to achieve some great results.

“The goal this year is to stay healthy and have that same trajectory.

“Hopefully that’s going to take me to bigger and better things.

“I don’t think I’ve hit my ceiling just yet. It’s exciting, and I’m looking forward to what this year has to offer.”

The world No.8 also commented on the increased media attention he has received in recent years, particularly during his home slam in Melbourne.

“It’s funny, the change,” he said.

“Two years ago, I was No.11 or 12. Then I just moved up one spot, two spots and it makes such a big difference.

“In terms of eyeballs, the media, the pressures, the expectation, all of that.

“But it definitely has changed over the years and I definitely do feel the love in Australia.

“I mean, ultimately, the spotlight is there, right?

“It’s the start of the season, it’s your home slam.

“There’s a lot of things that come with it.”

De Minaur will have much less pressure on his shoulders when his Rotterdam Open campaign gets underway against veteran David Goffin on Tuesday.

The 25-year-old is a heavy favourite across top online bookmakers, returning just -1000 to win compared to Goffin’s +600.

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