Alex de Minaur’s fiancée Katie Boulter can’t fully appreciate her partner’s new physique, which the Australian tennis star has grown significantly over the past few years, but it’s paying off on court as well.
Earlier in the week, the 25-year-old shared a photo of himself rippling his biceps in a sleeveless top alongside Australian stars like Alexi Popyrin, telling his followers: “I’m done getting ready.” It was posted with the caption, “It’s time…it’s time.” And Matt Ebden also gave a thumbs up.
But Boulter doesn’t care, referring to the slang term for social media posts aimed at attracting people, saying, “Let’s not trap the thirst of having a fiancée.” I wrote it.
And Boulter isn’t the only one to notice the Australian’s ripped physique.
Fans at this year’s Australian Open posted about De Minaur’s increased muscle mass.
Last year, the world No. 8 revealed he had gained around 7kg of muscle in three years.
Alex de Minaur has added quite a bit of muscle to his body in recent years
The Australian’s strength and conditioning program is paying off on the court.
“Every year is different. I look at the year as a whole. Things I want to work on, things I want to improve on,” De Minaur said.
“This year, we’re trying to get bigger, put on a little more muscle, get more power and speed on our serves and groundstrokes. We’re working on all of those things.” It’s all combined. Masu. I never diversified my training. I do everything every day.
“At the beginning of preseason (I) spent two-and-a-half to three hours in the gym and then two hours on the court.Basically, depending on the day, some sessions could double.
“Usually… in the first or second week, you’re training more and basically getting to the point where you don’t want to get up in the morning because you don’t want to deal with what’s in front of you.”
De Minaur’s dedication to improving his fitness is now paying off on the court, with statistics proving his serve has improved significantly.
At the 2018 Australian Open, he averaged 167 km/h on his first serve and 147 km/h on his second serve.
During the recent United Cup, de Minaur averaged 204 km/h on his first serve and 167 km/h on his second serve.
The added muscle also helps with his groundstrokes, and de Minaur says he can now go toe-to-toe with the best players on clay.
De Minaur (right) was photographed in 2016, when the frame was still being filled out.
The world No. 8 player (pictured in 2018) says he has added power to his game and is no longer bullied by opponents on court.
“Physically, I’ve gained a lot of muscle and strength, because my tennis itself, my groundstrokes, are probably not the best for clay courts, and I can play without rotating the ball as much. That’s where strength comes in,” he told reporters during the 2024 French Open.
“This allows me to maintain an average rally ball that is very powerful and prevents me from hurting my opponent or getting pushed around.” In the past, when I was a little lighter, I played against bigger, stronger players. I think I definitely felt like he might push me down and bully me all over the court. ”
Tennis great Mats Wilander is very impressed with the Australian’s transformation.
“He’s unbelievable,” he told reporters in 2024.
“Actually, he’s strong too. You can see it in his legs. Every time I see him, his legs are getting stronger.
“We’re talking about who’s getting the most out of his game and I have to say Alex de Minaur is getting the most out of his game.
“He’s so fast that I still think if he can learn how to move fast on the right balls and at the right times, he can get even better.”
De Minaur got his Australian Open campaign off to an ideal start with a straight-sets win over Botic van de Zandsschulp on Tuesday night.
If the 25-year-old reaches the British Open quarter-finals for the first time, having lost in the fourth round on his previous three visits, he is likely to face world number one and defending champion Jannik Sinner.
