Alex de Minaur has revealed how important fiancee Katie Boulter has been to his rise up the tennis rankings as he continues his strong form following a tough Australian Open exit. De Minaur was helpless against Jannik Sinner as the Italian silenced the Rod Laver Arena crowd in his quarter-final defeat. The 25-year-old admitted it was tough loss to deal with as critics unfairly targeted the home favourite.

Although the World No.8 bounced back on the weekend having led Australia to victory over Sweden in the Davis Cup. And he has now continued his Aus Open and Davis Cup form to defeat David Goffin in straight sets at the Rotterdam Open.

De Minaur was brilliant in his opening match with the No.3 seed a good chance of winning the tournament. Although the Aussie has revealed how difficult it has been since the start of the 2025 campaign with extra pressure placed upon him being inside the top 10.

Entering this year’s Australian Open, de Minaur faced more pressure than ever with fans expecting him to go deep into the tournament off the back of a brilliant 2024 season. Although he came up against eventual champion in Sinner who was far superior in their quarter-final clash.

Making it even more difficult was fiancee Boulter was not in attendance to cheer him on having left for her own rigorous tennis schedule that started only days after being eliminated from the women’s draw at Melbourne Park. Boulter returned home to England for some rest, before she takes part in her next tournament.

De Minaur recently revealed to ATPtour.com the extra pressure he faced at his home grand slam this year, which can take a toll moving forward. Although the humble Aussie admitted it was the weeks he crosses over with Boulter on tour that helps him put aside such setbacks.

“It definitely does help the weeks that I’m with Katie. It makes it a lot easier to be so far away from home. They are long stints,” De Minaur said. “I mean, a lot of time on the road. For me, it’s quite important to try to do stuff wherever we are.

“It is important to try and go out for dinners, go out for coffees, try to make life as normal as you can. And enjoy the time with the people you have. Whether it’s friends, whether it’s players, your own team. For me that’s the best way to make time go quicker in these long stints.”

Alex de Minaur relishes challenge to improve

De Minaur admitted the pressure of his world ranking has certainly put him in the crosshairs of critics ahead of this year’s first grand slam. “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 added.

“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.”

While many would feel the pressure, de Minaur is relishing the challenge and feels he can take his game to the next level in 2025. This comes after he became the first Aussie since Lleyton Hewitt to reach four consecutive grand slam quarter-finals.

“It is a magnificent foundation upon which to keep building,” de Minaur said at Rotterdam. “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.”

Alex de Minaur won’t defend Acapulco title

De Minaur recently surprised fans after it was confirmed he wouldn’t defend his title at Acapulco. The Aussie will relinquish the trophy he won in 2024 and play at the Dubai Tennis Championships instead, which will overlap with the Mexican event. There hasn’t been an explanation to why he won’t defend his title in Acapulco. But the Mexican Open offers $2.7 million to the winner, while there’s $3.4 million up for grabs in Dubai.