Delighted to be competing before a supportive home crowd in Melbourne, Alex de Minaur is taking a “don’t worry, be happy” approach to his AO 2023 campaign.
Melbourne, Australia , 19 January 2023 | Vivienne Christie
“Don’t worry, be happy” is a theme for Alex de Minaur in his sixth main-draw campaign at the Australian Open.
With those words written by the Australian himself on his racquet bag, the song by that same name has also become his pre-match listening choice.
As he progressed through his first-round match at Australian Open 2023 on Tuesday night, there was much for De Minaur, the No.22 men’s seed in Melbourne, to be happy about.
A brief rain delay arguably provided the biggest frustration as De Minaur completed a 6-2 6-2 6-3 victory in just over two hours.
“At the moment, I’ve got that (‘Don’t Worry, Be Happy’) song in my head at all times. I’m listening before I step out on court. I just want that message ingrained in my head,” De Minaur later explained with a smile.
“Whenever there’s a tough moment out there, I just kind of try to sing that song in my head and avoid any negative thoughts and try to stay positive.”
Don’t worry, be happy 🤗@alexdeminaur 🙌#GoAussies • #AO2023 pic.twitter.com/yiEeWKiDj1
— TennisAustralia (@TennisAustralia) January 17, 2023
Not that De Minaur has appeared anything less than positive in a stunning recent stretch of his career.
The 23-year-old capped a personal-best 2022 season – which included fourth-round appearances at the Australian Open and Wimbledon, plus a sixth ATP singles title in Atlanta – by leading Australia to a runner-up finish at the Davis Cup Finals.
This year already features a significant breakthrough, De Minaur claiming a first win over Rafael Nadal at the United Cup in the four matches they’ve played.
“I knew I had that level for a while but to get these wins, it’s a different level,” said the Australian, who recovered from a first-set deficit against the prolific Spaniard.
“So now I know I can do it every week, so that’s the plan now – I’ve just got to get to play those matches and back myself.
“Have a lot of confidence, believe in myself and enjoy what I do every day.”
De Minaur will have his next opportunity to showcase his improvements in his second-round Australian Open encounter with French veteran Adrian Mannarino.
“We’ve had a couple battles. I know what’s coming. He’s a tricky…
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