From Wimbledon disappointment to Olympic debut: Demon’s quick recovery from ‘freak’ injury
By Marc McGowan
Australian tennis star Alex de Minaur will compete at his first Olympics after completing a stunning recovery from a “freak” hip injury that caused him to withdraw before his Wimbledon quarter-final.
De Minaur was in significant doubt for the Games when he revealed less than a fortnight ago that he had suffered a cartilage tear in his hip and would not be able to play in what would have been the biggest match of his life against Novak Djokovic.
Alex de Minaur has overcome a hip injury in time to compete at the Olympics.
The world No.6 hurt himself sliding to hit a forehand on the first of his two match points against emerging Frenchman Arthur Fils in the fourth round, but managed to complete the win before a scan confirmed his injury.
De Minaur had some downtime since Wimbledon, holidaying with girlfriend Katie Boulter and fellow British players Lana Rush and Jodie Burrage, as well as spending time with his mother Esther and siblings Daniel, Cristina and Sara. But he was also able to prove to himself he was ready to play in Paris.
De Minaur was a last-minute withdrawal from the previous Olympics three years ago in Tokyo because of COVID-19, so it would have been a major blow if he were to miss again.
“To finally be able to represent Australia in the Olympics is a dream come true,” he said.
“I’m very passionate when I play for my country and wear the green and gold, so this is another one of those moments. I’m extremely excited to lace up for Paris 2024.”
De Minaur, who often speaks about his passion for representing Australia in the Davis Cup, indicated when he pulled out of Wimbledon that the prognosis for his recovery was between three and six weeks.
The tennis tournament at the Olympics starts at Roland-Garros this weekend, meaning he will return at the lesser end of that timeline. He is also on track to compete at next month’s US Open.
There was no surgery involved in de Minaur’s recovery, and he said at the time of his injury that his pain tolerance would be a factor in his return.
De Minaur is enjoying a career-best season.Credit: Getty Images
“The tear needs to naturally heal. There’s that process, and then there’s the process of rehabbing the area around it and kind of helping it be safe,” he said.
“It’s an injury that is all based on pain – on my pain. I’ve got to do exercises that don’t irritate the area more, and it allows it to heal. That’s why it’s kind of all up to myself and my body, how quickly it heals.
“In the past, similar injuries that I’ve had with osteitis pubis, I’ve come back sooner than expected, so I’m hoping that’s the case for this one as well.”
Clay has typically been de Minaur’s least-preferred surface, but he reached the quarter-finals at Roland-Garros for the first time last month, including upsetting Daniil Medvedev, in one of the many highlights in his outstanding season to date.
“In a way, I kind of surprised myself,” de Minaur said of his Roland-Garros result.
“I showed that I’m perfectly capable [on clay]. The Olympics will be best-of-three [sets]. It shows that there’s no reason why I can’t put on a good showing and perform and win matches. I’ll be looking forward to it. I think it will be a little bit warmer, so it should be fun.”
Joining de Minaur in Australia’s Olympic tennis team are Ajla Tomljanovic, Daria Saville, Alexei Popyrin, Rinky Hijikata, Matt Ebden, John Peers, Ellen Perez and Olivia Gadecki.
De Minaur, Popyrin, Hijikata and Tomljanovic will compete for singles medals, while Ebden and Peers, de Minaur and Popyrin, Perez and Saville, and Tomljanovic and Gadecki are the doubles combinations.
Australia will also enter the mixed doubles as strong medal contenders.
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