Australian tennis great Jelena Dokic has backed Alex de Minaur to be among the top four men’s singles title prospects at Wimbledon later this month.
Dokic, who famously reached the Wimbledon quarter-finals as a 16-year-old qualifier in 1999, predicted de Minaur will have a grand slam breakthrough placing him in the mix in contention to take out the title.
The 25-year-old is expected to receive a trickier draw than he otherwise would have after his shock first-round defeat to Italy’s Lorenzo Musetti dropped him from seventh to ninth in the world rankings.
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Had de Minaur been in the top eight when the latest ATP world rankings were released, he would have avoided playing higher ranked-players including defending champion Carlos Alcaraz, seven-time winner Novak Djokovic, and world No.1 Jannik Sinner until at least the quarter-finals.
Djokovic has yet to confirm if he will compete at Wimbledon this year as he continues to recover from knee surgery which ruled him out of the French Open. He declared earlier this week that he will only return if he is able to “fight for his title.”
Former world No.1 Andy Murray is also in doubt for what could be his final appearance in Wimbledon as he underwent surgery on a spinal cyst earlier this week.
Dokic said de Minaur’s Queen’s result should not raise concerns as the transition from clay to grass surfaces is one of the toughest to make in the sport.
“I don’t think a loss here and there is anything to worry about,” she said.
“I think (de Minaur) is primed and ready to do really well at grand slams like he showed at Roland Garros making the quarter-finals when it wasn’t even his favourite surface.
“He’s really got a game for grass, he’s more aggressive, a much more mature player, he comes forward so well now as well, that transition to the net which is so important.”
De Minuar is one of nine men and two women who are guaranteed to represent Australia on the Wimbledon grass this month with 17 others currently competing in qualifying.
After recording consistent victories over top-10 rivals, Dokic believes de Minaur has gained a new sense of belief and improved physicality that will help him through the pressure following his brilliant run at the Roland Garros.
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“The pressure is all on him [among the Australians], and deservedly so. I think pressure is a privilege, and he is embracing that now. He knows how to deal with it,” Dokic said.
“He won in ‘s-Hertogenbosch leading into it, and I don’t think a loss here and there is anything to worry about. He will be a really high seed, and he’ll be looking to make the second week.
“He had a heartbreaking loss a few years ago when he had match points (against Cristian Garin) to get into the quarter-finals, but I think he’s primed and ready to do really well.
“He’s got a game for grass – he’s more aggressive, he’s a much more mature player, and he comes forward so well now as well.”
Dokic predicts Sinner and Aryna Sabalenka will replicate their Australian Open success on the Wimbledon grass, however, declared that Ajla Tomljanovic will be a “dark horse” in the women’s draw.
“Sometimes you need the luck of the draw, so we’ll see how the draw turns out, but you’ve just got to go with that confidence,” she said.
“They’ve now had those matches on grass under their belt – nothing can replace that – so they’ve definitely got the confidence.
“Jordan won his first title this year as well, and Ajla has done a good job coming back from injuries and is so dangerous on grass.
“She really has one of those really dangerous games. She’s a flatter hitter, she’s got a big game, and a big backhand that she causes so many problems with for a lot of other players.”