Richard Krajicek had the opportunity to see Alex de Minaur’s talents up close at the Rotterdam Open, where the Wimbledon champion is the tournament director.
De Minaur flawlessly won the Rotterdam Open as he defeated the likes of Felix Auger-Aliassime, Ugo Humbert, and Stan Wawrinka.
The Australian continues to prove he’s one of the very best players on the ATP Tour, outside of Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner.
Having watched him at the Rotterdam Open, Krajicek has heaped praise on the ‘underrated’ tournament champion.
Why Richard Krajicek finds Alex de Minaur ‘fascinating’
Speaking to SpilXperten, Krajicek suggested de Minaur was one of the most fascinating players on the ATP Tour.
“I personally think that de Minaur is criminally underrated, but of course he’s still missing the very biggest titles,” he said.
“I find him fascinating to watch play, especially for someone like me, because he’s so different from the type of player I was.
“For me, it was all about serving well and getting to the net, but he has so many more facets to his game.”
Krajicek believes De Minaur is the perfect role model for young tennis players, despite the fact he is yet to win a Grand Slam.
“He’s someone that a lot of players can really learn from. In many ways, he might lack the standout weapons that other players have, but he’s completely unique in the way he does things.
“We all know how hard-working he is. He never complains, and he’s devilish to face because he’s so quick,” he added.
“You basically have to win the point four or five times against de Minaur, and that’s why so many players increase their number of unforced errors when they play him.
“As a player, you feel you have to go a little extra for your shots, and then you just end up hitting harder and harder. He’s also developed a great deal in recent years.
“He’s a regular part of the top 10, and he almost always goes deep in tournaments. He’s incredibly consistent.
“On top of that, he’s truly a role model for many other players, also because of the work ethic I mentioned earlier.
“He’s a player I wish all the best. I really hope things go very well for him and that he might be able to add one of the very biggest titles to his résumé.”
De Minaur has become one of the most consistent players on the ATP Tour, but he still remains a long way away from Grand Slam success.
The Australian has reached the quarter-finals of all four Grand Slams, but he has never progressed any further.
Alex de Minaur faces a tough test next at Indian Wells
De Minaur often reaches the latter stages of every tournament he competes in, but that wasn’t the case in Acapulco.
The Australian has won the event on two occasions, but he was stunned in his opening round match against Patrick Kypson.
It was the first time de Minaur had exited at the first stage of a tournament since losing to Reilly Opelka at the Cincinnati Open.
The Australian followed that up by reaching the quarter-finals of the US Open, so he’s proved that he can bounce back.
With the Sunshine Double of Indian Wells and the Miami Open next, de Minaur has the chance to bounce back in style.