Heading for the Masters - De Minaur, the newcomer

With just five days to go before the start of this year's Masters tournament in Turin, TennisTemple takes a look back at the season of another of the eight lucky qualifiers: Alex De Minaur.

Of all the participants, De Minaur is the most unexpected guest.

At 25, the Australian is a well-known player on the circuit.

Renowned for his heroic fighting spirit, unrivalled ground-covering skills and tireless hard-working attitude, the Sydney native nevertheless seemed to have a glass ceiling.

Indeed, prior to 2024, he had rarely managed to upset the world's best players, and had never even broken into the world's Top 10.

This season, he's moved up a gear.

Starting the year with a bang, the determined Australian quickly showed that he would be a constant threat.

With victories over several Top 10 players and two ATP titles (Acapulco, Bois-le-Duc), he quickly established himself at the top of the rankings (world no. 6 in July).

De Minaur's remarkable consistency in major tournaments, having played in the second week of every Grand Slam this year, means he'll arrive in Turin hungry for more.

Although he is far from the favorite and the opposition will be tougher than ever, the Australian right-hander should not be underestimated.

Indeed, a first appearance at the Masters is not always synonymous with failure, as shown by the examples of Dimitrov, titled on his only appearance, and Ruud, semi-finalist on his first attempt.