Alex de Minaur came close to being a Top 10 player on the ATP Tour in the past, but now it's finally going to happen on Monday, January 8.
Alex de Minaur has been a steady performer for much of his career. The keyword is steady because he's been pretty solid for a long time, but it took him a long time to really get to the Top 10.
Part of that was some players overtaking him in the pecking order, but mostly, it was just him proving at a steady pace. He didn't have a meteoric rise, but he slowly got better over time, and that consistency and hard work paid off this week at the 2024 United Cup in his native Australia.
He delivered a stunning performance to beat Alexander Zverev in the United Cup, and that win will make him a Top 10 player in January.
He will debut at number 10 replacing Taylor Fritz, who slid out after crashing out with Team USA earlier in the week. It was a great moment for de Minaur to experience on home soil as the crowd erupted when the announcement came down.
Speaking after the match, de Minaur admitted that it was a great achievement but it was not the end goal. He has higher ambitions, of course, but it was a cool moment to experience.
"It's what I worked so hard for. It's another milestone but it doesn't finish there. Job is not done."
His girlfriend, Katie Boulter, was pretty happy about it as well, and she reacted to it emphatically on X. She, too, alluded to more great things to come in the future, and that's possible. Nobody can deny that he's an extremely hard worker.
"No I’m not emotional. No person deserves it more than this man. Only just the beginning."