WHATEVER IT TAKES
When Alex de Minaur turns to the matter of his plans for the afternoon, you detect in his tone a mix of determination and dread. And no wonder. Shortly, he’ll board a flight from Melbourne to Brisbane, where he’ll tackle what he calls “a little bit of a track session” in oppressive heat.
“So, today we have a pyramid,” says the fresh-faced de Minaur, the world No. 18 at time of writing. “I’ll run 500 metres, rest for 30 seconds. Then one kay, rest for 30 seconds. Then two kay, rest for 30. Then 1 kay, rest for 30.” There’s one more stage but the line cuts out momentarily and you don’t catch it, though presumably it’s another 500m effort. Before you can check, he’s moved on. “I’ll be going hard,” he says. “It’s going to be a bit of a brutal session.”
Watching de Minaur darting all over the courts of the
