Alex de Minaur may have firmly established himself inside the Top 10 of the PIF ATP Rankings in recent years, but the nine-time tour-level champion remains eager to add Masters 1000 glory to his growing list of achievements.
Ahead of his campaign at the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells, ATPTour.com caught up with De Minaur to hear his fondest ATP Masters 1000 memories.
What is your favourite ATP Masters 1000 host city and why?
I think Rome is a beautiful city, and I always enjoy it. Great food, great culture there. Lots to see, lots to visit. I always really like Rome.
Which Masters 1000 title would you most like to win?
Indian Wells is definitely up there. It’s almost regarded as the fifth Slam, right? It’s at the start of the year, everyone is always here and playing with a lot of energy. That’s probably the one I would say.
What do you consider as your best Masters 1000 win so far?
Probably against [Daniil] Medvedev in Toronto when I made the final there [in 2023]. I think that’s probably my best win.
Which Masters 1000 event do you enjoy the most off the court?
I might go here [in Indian Wells], there is plenty of golf around. Whenever you get a little bit of time off, it’s great to get out there on the court and just chill out.
Your toughest match at a Masters 1000?
I think last year, playing [Alexander] Zverev here. We played in some tough, windy conditions. That was probably up there with the matches with the most wind that I’ve played with.
Favourite court at a Masters 1000 event?
Bercy [Paris] is a great indoor court. If not, I’ll go with Rome, just because it feels like you have all the crowd on top of you.
Greatest match you have seen at a Masters 1000 event, not involving yourself?
Growing up watching Roger [Federer] play Lleyton [Hewitt] here [in the 2005 final]. At the time, they were my two idols, the two people I look up to in the sport, going at it. It was pretty cool to watch. It’s one of those highlight reels that always comes up on my feed.
The toughest aspect of playing a Masters 1000 event?
The hardest is how long the tournament is. It almost feels as if you’re playing a Slam. You get in early, you play every two days and you’re at the same place for a very long time. You have to be very good at managing your energy, the mental side of things so that every time you’re out there on court, you’re full of energy and ready to go.
What would be your dream Masters 1000 match, against a current opponent?
Maybe playing Carlos [Alcaraz] in a final, and getting the win. In Madrid? I’m sure that would be a pretty epic moment, let’s add that into the equation.
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