Alex de Minaur, Alexei Popyrin, Jordan Thompson and Nick Kyrgios chatted to the media on Friday at Australian Open 2025 looms closer.
Melbourne, VIC, Australia, 10 January 2025 | Sean A’Hearn
With three seeded players at the Australian Open for the first time since 1982, Australian men’s tennis is in a good spot.
Leading the charge as the top-seeded Aussie, Alex de Minaur is looking to continue his steady rise as a player this fortnight in Melbourne.
“Every time I come here to the Australian Open, I feel like I’m a better version of what I was the year before,” the eighth seed said on Friday’s media day at AO 2025.
“I’ve learnt so much. I’m playing with a lot more confidence. I’m doing all the right things.”
Despite all the pressure and the spotlight on the 23-year-old, his preparation remains the same.
“My job is to walk on court and do my best to win tennis matches, essentially,” he said.
“I still have the same prep. I’m very fortunate that I have a great team around me that we can kind of focus on our own little bubble.”
Back at the Australian Open for the first time since 2022, Nick Kyrgios was buoyant about the depth of the men’s game in Australia.
“I mean, men’s tennis in Australia right now is ridiculously strong – we have a lot of players,” Kyrgios said.
While praising De Minaur – “I genuinely think he’s a threat at any Grand Slam and any tournament he plays” – Kyrgios believes he too can still compete with the best after being out of the game for the best part of 18 months.
“I always have utmost confidence in my ability. If I’m playing my style of tennis, my unpredictability, I have a chance against anyone,” he said.
“That’s the mindset you need to have against these people.”
Seeded for the first time at the Australian Open, 25th seed Alexei Popyrin is focused on getting past the third round, which he has yet to do at Melbourne Park.
“We’re trying to get past that third-round hump,” he said.
“We’re just trying to make it to the second week for the first time here. That’s the main goal for the year.”
Off the back of a break-out season in 2024, particularly the back end of the year where he won his maiden Masters 1000 title in Canada and beat Novak Djokovic at the US Open, Popyrin credits the Paris Olympics with sparking his recent run.
“It just all sort of clicked after the Olympics, starting from Montreal,” he said.
“It just kind of clicked, and everything just felt great when we were out there on the court. I kind of knew what I was doing.”
Having also picked up a seed for the first time at the Australian Open, 27th seed Jordan Thompson attributes his Grand Slam seeding to an expanding all-court game.
“Mentality on the court … I’m trying to be more aggressive,” he said.
“I’m trying to use all the aspects of the game to win points. Trying to push forward to the net as much as I can. Got to use my speed and volleys to my advantage.”
Combining both doubles and singles to great success in 2024, Thompson believes playing doubles has improved his singles game.
“In singles, it just feels like I’ve got an ocean to hit into, especially on returns,” he said.
With 14 local men set to compete in the main draw, it’s an exciting time to be an Aussie tennis fan.
