A week after his return home to Sydney, Christmas Day for Alex de Minaur doesn’t sound a whole bundle of fun.
“Well, it will basically consist of me spending some time on the tennis court … and in the gym,” he explains matter-of-fact.
Same as normal then, Alex?
“Always,” Australia’s best tennis player responds to AAP with a hint of a smile.
Is that taking a leaf out of the book of the great decathlete Daley Thompson, who would always imagine on Christmas Day while he was shot putting, his fellow Olympic hopefuls would just scoff pudding?
“Well, it is that," he agrees, imagining it gives him that extra edge over his rivals. "There's not that much time before we start competing again, so you can't really have too many days off, right?”
“There’s no rest for the wicked. Ultimately, let's just say the fuel that drives me to get better, that hunger, it over-rides the feeling of me needing a week off, two weeks off with holidays, and enjoying the festive season.
“That's just the way I'm wired. And the way I finished this year, I've sat down with my team and said, ‘All right, what do we need to improve? In every aspect of my life, what do I need to be better next year?'
“The way I see 2024, it was a breakthrough year, 100 per cent. I played some incredible tennis, reached a career-high six, reached the end-of-year finals for the first time - but I still think I can do more.
“That's what I want, ultimately, that’s what I'm working so hard for. I'm one of those people that are never satisfied and I think, in a way, at times it's hurt me, because I struggle to cherish the moment for itself.
“I've gotten a lot better at it, but at the same time I always want more. Never satisfied. That's what the whole training is for."
That’s de Minaur to a T. The uber-perfectionist, the workaholic who won’t cut corners.
Musing on his approach during an interview in London before a relatively meaningless exhibition-style event there at the end of his 2024 slog, he made it clear that, actually, he's too competitive to just go through the motions.
Naturally, he won the whole thing.
Yes, he did then indulge in a pre-Christmas feast with his British tennis star girlfriend Katie Boulter and her family last week - but back on Australian soil, his undivided focus is now on Mission Melbourne Park.
Three-time champion Mats Wilander told AAP last year in Paris he believed the Australian Open would be de Minaur’s best chance to win a grand slam.
“Look, I would love to have a big Australian Open,” says de Minaur, on hearing this. “It’s my home slam, exactly where I would love to play my best tennis.
“As it stands, it's my worst slam in terms of performances. I've made quarter-finals of every slam except for Melbourne, and had a brutal match against Andrey (Rublev in the fourth round) there which could have gone either way and was definitely one of my big disappointments of the year.
“But hopefully I can bring everything I've achieved this year and hit 2025 running. I would love nothing more than to play well in Australia, in front of my home fans and friends and family.”
And given those potential improvements he’s poring over with his team, does he feel he’s at last conquered the pain from the hip injury that bedevilled him from Wimbledon onwards?
“I'm happy I'm trending in the right direction towards starting the new season, hopefully pain-free," he says.
"And the beauty of it is, there's so many different categories I can still improve on. On court we ultimately want to be competing with the best in the world, right? And that's Jannik (Sinner), you've got Carlitos (Alcaraz), you got Novak (Djokovic), Sascha (Zverev), (Daniil) Medvedev, Rublev, all these guys, right?
“They're all hitting the ball very hard, so my average ball speed I'll try to try to lift a little bit, I’ll try to be a bit more aggressive too.
"In the gym, try to get that bit stronger so I can cope with that. I can still get fitter, still get quicker, get those one per cent extras,
“It’s not like going from night to day. I'm going to get my improvement in my tennis in the one per centers, and hopefully my ranking improves too.”
De Minaur’s mission statement is unimpeachable and completely admirable.
Busting a gut, not filling his tum, on Christmas Day?
“That's what you do it for, right?' he smiles.
"Because ultimately, at the end of my career, I want to be sitting on my sofa chilling out, knowing that I've done everything in my power to be the best possible tennis player that I could be.”
