Nick Kyrgios reckons Alex de Minaur need do nothing more to be regarded as a modern-day great of Australian tennis.
After another stellar season, de Minaur will land a fourth Newcombe Medal at Australian tennis’s night of nights in Melbourne on Monday.
Only retired legend Ash Barty, with five gongs, has been crowned Australia’s player of the year more times, with de Minaur set to eclipse Samantha Stosur’s three straight medals from 2010-12.
Alex de Minaur and Ash Barty were named joint winners of the 2018 Newcombe Medal. (David Crosling/AAP PHOTOS)
The 26-year-old joined his mentor Lleyton Hewitt and John Newcombe himself as only the third Australian to make the semi-finals of the prestigious season-ending ATP championship.
After matching his career-high ranking of No.6 in the world in October, de Minaur also remains the only Australian man since Hewitt 20 years ago to crack the top 10.
Even Kyrgios only peaked at No.13 after reaching the 2022 Wimbledon final.
Kyrgios says it is too early to anoint de Minaur as a future grand slam champion, but he places his countryman in the batch of stars ready to pounce – even at next month’s Australian Open – if tennis titans Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner somehow slip up.
Alex de Minaur couldn’t stop Jannik Sinner’s run to the 2025 Australian Open championship. (Joel Carrett/AAP PHOTOS)
Alcaraz and two-time defending AO champion Sinner have won the past eight grand slam titles.
“Demon’s doing an amazing job, to be honest. He’s a genuine contender, I think,” Kyrgios told AAP.
“Maybe not at a grand slam over best of five with the way Alcaraz and Sinner are playing right now.
“But if one of those guys go down early, I would say that Demon’s one of the other three or four people that genuinely has a chance to do it.
Nick Kyrgios believes compatriot Alex de Minaur has what it takes to win a major championship. (Jono Searle/AAP PHOTOS)
“We all know how hard he works. I’ve been around him and his competitiveness and work ethic is literally probably second to none.
“But look, regardless, he may not ever win a grand slam, or he may not ever win a Masters event or whatever it is, but I like what he’s doing now.
“It is still incredible. He’s been top 10 now for years and he’s already done things that are incredible.
“He’s done amazing for Australia, regardless of what happens.”
Hoping to make a comeback from career-threatening knee and wrist injuries that have limited him to six tour matches in more than three years, Kyrgios is urging de Minaur to embrace the pressure and expectation that comes with being Australia’s top summer hope.
The gifted Nick Kyrgios hopes to make a comeback after a string of career-threatening injuries. (James Ross/AAP PHOTOS)
The mercurial talent also advised de Minaur to savour every moment in the spotlight.
“That’s the one thing I tell athletes now, and not even just tennis, you can’t really take it for granted, being right there,” he said.
“It just goes so quick. Like, one second you have it all figured out and then an injury can happen and your whole career flashes before your eyes.
“We’ve seen these injuries like Holger Rune snapping an achilles. These injuries can happen so acutely and it’s a scary feeling.”
Teenage sensation Maya Joint, who is poised to claim a first-time grand slam seeding at her home major in Melbourne, along with Kim Birrell, Priscilla Hon and Adam Walton are this year’s other Newcombe Medal nominees.
De Minaur, though, is a shoo-in.