NATIONAL BANK OPEN

August 3, 2025

Alex De Minaur

Quick Quotes

A. DE MINAUR/F. Tiafoe

6-2, 4-6, 6-4

Q. Great effort today. Got to ask about that wild point 4-all deuce in the third set. What did you see in that point, and how were you able to pull out that rally?

ALEX DE MINAUR: Yeah, look, it's kind of, it's part of my DNA, right, never to let a point go, no matter what position in the rally I'm in. Yeah, today was a crucial example of what it can mean if you make that extra point, right.

It was a huge moment, it gave me a break point, and even though I wasn't able to convert it, it really did send a message that I wanted that game. Yeah, I mean, I don't have the biggest weapons out here, but one thing I can rely on is my legs.

Q. At the French Open you talked about how you were tired, mentally and physically. How were you able to recover both physically and mentally?

ALEX DE MINAUR: Well, I took some time off, I didn't play some tournaments. I knew I had to kind of shift my mindset a little bit, because what I was feeling, what I was dealing with every single day, was not sustainable, and was the reason for my burnout.

So, I decided not to try and defend the title in 's-Hertogenbosch, even though I knew it would affect my seeding at Wimbledon. And that for me was the first step, forgetting about my ranking and just worrying about myself a little bit more.

I managed to have a great balance. I've had a lot of talks off the court to make sure I am in this right mindset. Now I'm prioritizing myself, and I know that I'm a good enough player, I know I'm a top-10 player, even if I'm not, I wasn't in that ranking a couple weeks ago.

If I show up, and I'm mentally ready and physically ready, I know I can provide that tennis. The last couple weeks have been an example of that, so very proud.

Q. You tweeted out hopefully asking the USTA to have a mixed double wild card for you and Katie. What would it mean for you to compete with her in that event and also pursue a Grand Slam together?

ALEX DE MINAUR: Yeah, a hundred percent. I mean, look, I think we're doing our best to put a really good case forward to hopefully get that wild card. Yeah, I mean, one of the most enjoyable moments I've had on a tennis court was playing Wimbledon mixed doubles with her.

As I said, it was pretty damn cool, so I would love to go back and, yeah, play again. And to play such an exciting event with the world's best tennis players would be pretty cool. So hopefully they give us a chance to do that, and I don't know, I mean, yeah, I'm keeping my fingers crossed.

Q. I want to ask you about Toronto itself. Two years ago when you made this final it felt like a huge stepping stone in your career. When you arrived again this year did you kind of think back to those memories of what you accomplished in 2023 and how that sort of launched you forward in that kind of top-10 realm?

ALEX DE MINAUR: Yeah, definitely did. Especially with not having too much prep time coming from Washington. I came here, I had a couple hits on the court, and I was like, geez, I'm not feeling the ball here. I don't know how, I was trying to remember how I played so well a couple years back, whether the balls were different, the conditions were different, what exactly it was.

But, yeah, I just kind of told myself that this place brings good memories, and if I just keep on showing up and keep on giving myself a chance, that hopefully the good tennis will come. That's what I've been focusing on. It's not about how well you play in your first round, it's about every day getting a little bit better and showing some better tennis. That's what I feel like I've done over the course of my career is just, as I'm going deeper in a tournament, I become more dangerous.

Q. You mentioned the conditions here. I feel a lot of players have talked about how difficult it is here. What are the adjustments you're making here?

ALEX DE MINAUR: Well, the number one focus point is not complaining. That for me is a must, right. It's not going to change, right. Is complaining about the conditions going to give me the best chance to perform? No. So, for me it's just about getting on with it, dealing with it, and just trying to find a way and committing to my shots.

It is hard, don't get me wrong. I haven't felt my greatest. A lot of players have expressed that they haven't felt so comfortable out there. But for me it's about finding a way to get over the line. It doesn't need to be pretty, it's just about finding a way.

Q. Curious, following up on your court coverage, do you feel like you're faster this year, and if so what have you been doing to ensure that you can keep that speed up?

ALEX DE MINAUR: No, I don't think I'm faster. I think that's something that's always with me. Yeah, look, I just, there's a lot of quick movers out there. Maybe this year I haven't had to rely on it as much because I'm focusing on trying to be a little bit more aggressive.

Course, you know, there's still plenty of hours that have been put on in the gym, off the court, to make sure that my footwork and speed is what it is. I like to think that it helps in defending and retrieving, but also it helps me in taking time away from my opponents. I'm using it to my advantage to get to the net very quickly and kind of anticipate the next shot. So it's not only for defensive use, I'm also trying to use it in an aggressive nature as well.