Alex de Minaur is a scorching favorite to edge out Novak Djokovic slayer Alexei Popyrin and declare a 3rd Newcombe Medal as Australian tennis’s participant of the 12 months.
De Minaur is an odds-on favorite to snare a 3rd medal after crowning his most interesting season but by changing into the primary Australian since Lleyton Hewitt in 2004 to qualify for the elite eight-man ATP Finals.
Ordinarily, Popyrin and Olympic Video games gold medallists Matt Ebden and John Friends would even have robust profitable claims.
Popyrin shot to stardom as the primary Australian additionally since Hewitt in 2003 to seize a Masters 1000 title in Montreal earlier than taking down the nice Novak Djokovic is a seismic US Open upset in New York.
The 25-year-old’s breakout season has the previous French Open junior champion knocking on the door of the world’s prime 20 and set for a first-time grand slam seeding on the Australian Open in January.
Friends and Ebden joined the legendary Woodies – Mark Woodforde and Todd Woobridge – as Olympic gold medallist with a stirring comeback win in Paris over People Rajeev Ram and Austin Krajicek.
Jordan Thompson, who banked greater than $1 million in a life-changing fortnight at Flushing Meadows, his doubles-winning companion Max Purcell and rising ladies’s star Olivia Gadecki additionally earned nominations.
Thompson fell to de Minaur within the singles fourth spherical in New York earlier than touchdown a maiden grand slam crown along with his doubles triumph with Purcell and, like Popyrin, can also be in line to be seeded at Melbourne Park.
Jordan Thompson. (Photograph by Clive Brunskill/Getty Photos)
Gadecki, a long-time protege of Ash Barty, soared into the world’s prime 100 with a career-best run to the Guadalajara Open closing in September.
De Minaur, although, won’t be denied after having fun with one other watershed marketing campaign in 2024 underlined by a collection of profession firsts.
The 25-year-old made three consecutive grand slam quarter-finals on the French Open, Wimbledon and the US Open, surging to No.6 on the earth after his cost on the All England Membership.
Regardless of struggling the heartbreak of getting to withdraw from a scheduled Wimbledon quarter-final blockbuster with Djokovic with a hip harm, de Minaur rebounded to supply one other Hewitt-like feat at Flushing Meadows.
In reaching the final eight for a second time, de Minaur was the primary Australian since his idol and Davis Cup captain in 2005 to make three main quarters in a calendar 12 months.
He seems a shoo-in so as to add a 3rd “Newk” to his 2018 and 2023 medals.
“It’s been an ideal 12 months for me, a 12 months of many firsts, cracking quite a lot of milestones and quite a lot of targets that I’ve set out with the entire crew,” de Minaur mentioned.
“I’m extraordinarily pleased with all the things that has been achieved.”
© AAP
