Is De Minaur posed to make a run at Wimbledon?

Earlier this season Alex De Minaur spoke about his ambitions to reach the top of the game. That’s fair, if he didn’t have those ambitions then what would be the point of competing week in and week out on the tour? This though came during a spell in Australia where life couldn’t be better for him. The Aussie was making significant progress with efficient victories at the Australian Open setting him up to face none other than Novak Djokovic. The match-up was interesting as they had never met, but ultimately he learned that he was quite a bit off his desired level at the top of the tree.
De Minaur has made no secret of the fact that he loves the Aussie crowd and thrives in the cauldron of their home support. Often his most impressive performances have come in the Davis Cup or United Cup alike where he plays solely for the benefit of his home nation. His pride to represent his country is refreshing to see for modern-day athletes and perhaps is one of the traits that makes him so likeable on the tour.

The past twelve months have been a scene of improvement as the Aussie has performed well consistently throughout the tour, being runner-up at Eastbourne, and winning events such as Mexico and Atlanta. This has allowed him to reach a ranking of eighteen which therefore means that come to the glorious spectacle that is Wimbledon, he will avoid a seed in his first two rounds. Every little help in tennis and a bonus like that will go a long way in helping him retain his top-twenty status.
His biggest attribute is speed. In terms of guys on tour that would beat him in a sprint, it’s likely that only Gael Monfils would be capable. His immense engine is also noteworthy. Combine these two and you have a top athlete. In terms of groundstrokes, he has no major weapons and although he has a decent serve, it is nothing in comparison to some of the giants on the ATP Tour.
If he is to make a statement performance at a slam there is a decent chance it will be on the grass. Of course, Australia is where it is most likely as he really thrives on the crowd. From a technical standpoint, his game is suitable for grass though. Despite his lack of a weapon, as mentioned his speed is rarely matched. This is crucial to dealing with the big hitters in a way that many can’t.

Despite his wishes, I would say that it’s highly unlikely he will ever reach the top of the men’s game. At the age of 24, there is still time though, however, the next twenty-four months will be telling