In the world of professional tennis, Alex de Minaur reached a career-best ranking of world no. 12 in August 2023. He is an Australian tennis player but has a unique background, which brings an interesting dimension to his tennis journey. Born on February 17, 1999, in Sydney, Australia, Alex’s life is a mix of cultural diversity and heritage, coming from his parentage and early upbringing.
His father, Anibal de Minaur, is from the South American nation of Uruguay, and his mother, Esther de Minaur is a European from Spain, which has brought different influences to his life. Anibal is a seasoned entrepreneur, while Esther is a homemaker who focuses on raising their family. De Minaur gets his Spanish name, Alex, from his maternal side.
Interestingly, de Minaur’s parents first met when Anibal, who owned an Italian restaurant in Sydney, crossed paths with Esther, who worked there as a waitress. When Alex was 5 years old, his family moved to Alicante, Spain. Having dual citizenship, de Minaur spent his early years in both Australia and Spain, experiencing a mix of lifestyles.
Alex started playing tennis at age three at the Sydney Private Tennis Academy. His tennis skills came to the fore when he reached a junior ranking of world no. 2 and won the 2016 Australian Open boys’ doubles title. A crucial moment came when, at 13, he returned to Australia after his junior schooling in Spain, and Lleyton Hewitt, the Australian tennis legend, became a mentor. After that, there was no looking back!
Alex de Minaur embraced Australian tennis despite Spanish roots
Alex de Minaur, despite having his family roots in Spain, a powerhouse in tennis, feels a deep connection with Australia. The Spanish Federation once expressed interest in recruiting the young talent, but discussions never advanced, according to de Minaur’s agent, David Drysdale. De Minaur’s mother was approached by them to persuade him to play for their nation.
However, he had a profound connection with Australia. During his formative years, de Minaur openly expressed his love for Australia, stating, “I love Australia. I love coming here, I love playing here and I love the support. It’s my passion to hopefully one day be able to represent the green and gold. That’s the ultimate goal.”
The Spanish interest in him persisted until he played in the Davis Cup for Australia. Drysdale stated that de Minaur always personally committed himself to play for Australia. In 2017, he shared with the Sydney Morning Herald, “I used to represent Spain but I always felt I was Australian. As soon as we moved back here again [when he was 13,] that was the first thing I wanted to do – play for Australia.”
Tennis Australia’s CEO, Craig Tiley, and Australian doubles legend, Todd Woodbridge, actively ensured that de Minaur remained a representative of Australia. Despite the tempting option of representing Spain, his initial home, de Minaur’s personal bond with Australia, and his debut participation in the Australian Davis Cup team cemented his destiny down under.