Despite the injury, de Minaur has still had time to work on parts of his game, including his serve, which hit a top speed of 213km/h on Wednesday night.
“I got sick and tired of everyone saying I don’t have a big enough first serve,” de Minaur said. “So, I did my best, I tried to get a little bit more muscle into me.”
Australia captain Lleyton Hewitt said few knew how hard 2024 had been for the world No.9.
“I’m just so happy for Alex to be back playing like he wants to play again,” Hewitt said. “It’s only probably his close-knit group who know what he’s been dealing with and how frustrating that’s been.
“He still kept showing up and gave 100 per cent and didn’t make excuses. The last week or so that he’s been here training and doing the hard work has been great to see.
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“Being pain-free and being able to move freely out on the court [is when] everything else starts coming together. Like he always says, it’s about embracing this month of the year and enjoying the moments.”
When asked if de Minaur could be the first Australian man to make an Australian Open final since he did it 20 years earlier, Hewitt said: “Alex has got as good a shot as anyone of going deep at the Australian Open.
“But first things first, you’ve got to get there and take care of business and hopefully navigate your way into the second week of the slam. Then anything can happen.”
