The Australian No.1, who broke into the world top 10 while reaching the last eight in each of the last four grand slams, says he has laid "a magnificent foundation" for further successes.
The 25-year-old from Sydney underlined his intentions with a straightforward, and at times brilliant, 6-2 6-4 defeat of Belgium's David Goffin in the Rotterdam Open, where he is aiming to go one better than last year's runner-up position.
here, there and everywhere 🤯— ATP Tour (@atptour) @alexdeminaur at his scintillating best! @abnamroopen | #abnamroopen pic.twitter.com/z2oVI9OPIfFebruary 4, 2025
Talking before his opening match in the Dutch city, De Minaur said: "I feel I have taken many steps in the right direction during this past year. I am a better tennis player, having shown the necessary consistency to reach the quarter-finals in all four grand slams.
"It is a magnificent foundation upon which to keep building. My main goal this season is to avoid injuries and keep progressing. I don't think I have reached my limit yet. I want more."
De Minaur's progress last year was hampered by a hip injury that forced him out of Wimbledon and affected him through the rest of the season.
"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."
The 😈 is making moves. — ATP Tour (@atptour) Last year's finalist powers into the second round and extends his head-to-head record against Goffin to 6-0! @abnamroopen | #abnamroopen pic.twitter.com/P5fPcof7ohFebruary 4, 2025
De Minaur admits he feels the weight of his world ranking, now at No.8. "There is a big difference between being ranked 11th or 12th in the world and already being among the top 10. Media attention is higher and expectations are raised," he said.
"Starting the year in Australia makes me feel that more intensely. The privilege of playing in front of your home crowd at the Rod Laver carries responsibility and pressure because people expect you to win."
Talking to ATPTour.com, De Minaur also offered a further glimpse into the role partner and fellow tennis star Katie Boulter plays in his career.
"It helps to share competition weeks with Katie, it makes the time away from home more bearable," he said.
"Tennis players spend to many weeks a year away from home, and separated from family, so it is important to maintain routines of going out to dinner, exploring the cities you are in and leading as normal a life as possible."
Katie Boulter (centre) cheers on her partner, Alex De Minaur, during the 2025 Australian Open. (Lukas Coch/AAP PHOTOS)
"The tennis aspect will always be demanding and stressful so for me it is essential to do interesting and entertaining things off the court."
Back on court, De Minaur maintained his perfect record over Goffin - it is now six wins from six matches with just one set dropped in the process.
After winning in 96 minutes to set up a meeting with Czech 19-year-old Jakub Mensik, De Minaur said: "It felt slow out here, quite tough to get used to the conditions. It's a very rough surface.
"I'm happy with my attitude today, I did exactly what I needed to do. David is a hell of a competitor, so I knew it was going to be a hell of a battle."
He looks ready for the bigger challenges ahead.
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