World No.3 Stefanos Tsitsipas has practically entered the January Grand Slam
A reporter said: “Local government in Australia has suggested [to] players to get vaccinated.
“Unvaccinated players may face more quarantine and movement restrictions during the grand slam. So, will you be playing under such conditions in Australia?
After a break, Tsitsipas called the demands “fair”.
Meanwhile, de Minaur is determined to put in a strong performance for Australia in the Davis Cup final in late November after sorely missing the Tokyo Olympics after contracting COVID-19.
“The Davis Cup is always my top priority. It’s probably one of my favorite weeks of the year – 100% – to get together as a team, ”said de Minaur.
“If I didn’t like him and I don’t like him as much as I do, it probably doesn’t make sense [to still commit to it] in a year like this.
“No matter how tired I get from playing games, I can tell you right away that I’ll be ready for DC (Davis Cup).”
De Minaur lamented his recent lack of match play after pushing Tsitsipas to three sets.
Alex de Minaur pushed Stefanos Tsitsipas to three sets.Credit:Getty Images
The 22-year-old is planning a busy schedule to close 2021, culminating with the Davis Cup, after an eventful year, including his positive diagnosis of COVID-19.
Ranked 15th at the end of June, de Minaur lost in the first round at Wimbledon and the US Open, on both sides of the Olympics.
But de Minaur’s improved form manifested itself in an ultimately frustrating loss to Roland Garros finalist Tsitsipas, the Australian winning the opening set before losing 6-7 (3-7), 7-6 ( 7-3), 6-2.
“It’s a step forward. I was probably at a few points to get [winning] this match, ”said de Minaur.
“I’m not disappointed with the way I played because… I did what I had to do. I am not disappointed with my attitude because I left everything behind.
“I’m just disappointed that my body wasn’t good for me today. There isn’t much you can do. It’s the first time I’ve played a few games in a row in a while. You can’t replicate the intensity of a game, especially against these better guys.
Two of de Minaur’s five career titles came in 2021 – in Antalya, Turkey in January and in Eastbourne just before Wimbledon.
“[There are] a lot of positives this week – we keep moving forward, ”he said.
“I hope this will end the year strong. “
De Minaur plans to play events in Antwerp, Vienna, Paris and Stockholm ahead of the Davis Cup final.
“If I had to evaluate my year, with the critical self that I am, I would say [it’s] ‘not what I wanted,’ ”he said.
“But then again I can see it in the sense that even in a year where I probably didn’t play my best tennis, I had to deal with a few things here and there – COVID [and] not in shape – I managed to win two titles and the year is not over yet.
“I hope I can turn the narrative and end the year strong.”
“Now it’s about building – building on that performance and hopefully week after week I can play two [or] matches every week and my body can get used to the routine.
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