Alex de Minaur, making his ATP Finals debut, aims to become the first Australian to win the season-ending event in 22 years.
Turin, Italy, 9 November 2024 | Jackson Mansell
Not since Lleyton Hewitt in 2004 has an Australian featured in the singles of the ATP Finals, but that will change on Sunday.
World No.8 Alex de Minaur will break the drought in Turin, as he aims to cap off a season of perseverance on the highest note.
The path to victory
To join Hewitt as the only Australians to win the prestigious year-end title, De Minaur will need to finish among the top two in a gruelling group.
> READ MORE: De Minaur qualifies for ATP Finals in Turin
Part of the Ilie Nastase group, De Minaur will compete against world No.1 Jannik Sinner, 2020 ATP Finals champion Daniil Medvedev, and US Open 2024 finalist Taylor Fritz.
Playing a round-robin format, the top two from each group will advance to the knockout semifinal stage.
When will Demon play?
De Minaur will first step on court on Sunday night local time when he battles Sinner on the first day of competition.
His other round-robin matches will be played on Tuesday and Thursday, when he will face Medvedev and Fritz. It is yet to be determined what day and time he will play either opponent.
The group stage will conclude on Friday night, with the semifinals being played on Saturday 16 November and the final Sunday 17 November.
How does De Minaur fare against his opponents?
The Australian No.1 needs to enter uncharted territory to make a winning start in his ATP Finals campaign, given he is yet to defeat Sinner in seven attempts.
Their most recent encounter was at the Rotterdam Open final in February, where the Australian Open 2024 champion won 7-5 6-4.
De Minaur has a more promising record against Sinner’s opponent in that Australian Open final, holding a 3-6 record against Medvedev. De Minaur won their only match in 2024 in the fourth round of Roland Garros.
Losing the first set, De Minaur dominated in the next three sets to reach his first Grand Slam quarterfinal since US Open 2020.
His best head-to-head record against fellow group members comes against Fritz.
De Minaur has won their past two matches, boasting a winning 5-3 record overall. Most recently, the Aussie defeated Fritz 6-4 6-2 in the group stage of the 2024 United Cup, to help Team Australia advance to the knockout rounds.
Other Aussies in action
De Minaur is not the only Aussie competing in Turin. He will be one of four Aussies to feature at the event with Jordan Thompson, Max Purcell and Matt Ebden all playing doubles.
READ MORE: Aussies achieve 24-year first at ATP Finals
Like De Minaur, Thompson and Purcell will make their ATP Finals debut after a dominant second half of the year. Their triumph at Flushing Meadows, as well as their finals appearance at Wimbledon, sees the pair enter the tournament as the fifth seeds.
As for Ebden, he is no stranger to Inalpi Arena. The world No.11 and partner Rohan Bopanna played last year, reaching the semifinals. The Australian Open 2024 doubles champions are ranked sixth.
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