Alex de Minaur was forced to abandon plans to play at the 2024 Shanghai Masters, after pulling out of a couple of events before that.
De Minaur has had a career year so far, with some impressive performances across the board. The Australian has been around the top for a while but never properly broke out.
He's always improved, as he slowly but surely inched his way to the Top 10 on the ATP Tour. Now, he knows how it feels to be in the Top 10, but at the moment, he's also battling injuries.
While he's been physically reliable in the past, he injured his hip at Wimbledon in a freak hyperextension trying to catch a volley on the net. It was at match point against Arthur Fils, and while he caught it to win the match, he paid a heavy price for it.
The injury proved troublesome, and he withdrew from the event. He then withdrew from the singles competition at the Olympics due to not being able to play, even though he played doubles.
He didn't look very good, as it was clear that his hip was severely bothering him. After he withdrew from the Canada Open and the Cincinnati Open, it was evident that the hip didn't get better.
Even so, the Australian somehow played at the US Open, and he played extremely well. Despite clearly not being 100% ready, De Minaur had his best-ever result at the US Open, making the quarter-final, in which he was beaten by Jack Draper in three sets.
It was a hugely inspiring run from the Australian, but many were left puzzled as to why he played. It seemed counterintuitive because he clearly wasn't 100%, and a hip injury is not something that gets better by playing.
Unfortunately, he's not playing right now because, since the match against Draper, De Minaur hasn't played any other match. He was supposed to play at the Laver Cup, but he withdrew.
He was also supposed to play at the Shanghai Masters but now withdrew. During all this time, he didn't provide many updates, as he only shared a short message with his fans on social media recently.
Clearly, the hip hasn't healed, or he's taking time away from the courts to let it heal properly. As good as the US Open run was, it probably wasn't worth risking the whole season for it.
"Going through a rough patch at the moment trying to sort out my injury but as a wise person once said: 'There’s always light at the end of the tunnel.'"
His girlfriend, Katie Boulter, tried cheering him up with a comment, reminding the Australian tennis player that even though he might be struggling in his career at the moment, there is still life away from the courts.
"Damn right there is light, you get to deal with me everyday."
While away from the courts, De Minaur can at least enjoy seeing his girlfriend play, as their schedules often clash and don't allow it.
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