Tennis legend Wally Masur says Alex de Minaur will have his best Australian Open finish next year and the United Cup will be the perfect lead-in for the world No.13.
De Minaur and Ajla Tomljanovic will play for host nation Australia in the United Cup.
Australia has been drawn to face defending champion the US and Great Britain in Group C in Perth.
The 18 nations will compete in Perth and Sydney, with Novak Djokovic’s Serbia and Iga Swiatek’s Poland heading west, while Stefanos Tsitsipas’ Greece and Angelique Kerber’s Germany feature in the east.
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De Minaur faces a potentially awkward situation because girlfriend Katie Boulter will be leading the charge for Great Britain.
The tournament structure includes one men’s and women’s singles match for every tie, while de Minaur and Boulter could play against each other in the mixed doubles.
“It could be the end of a beautiful relationship,” Masur joked at the draw announcement in Sydney.
“It will be interesting how it plays out because Matt Ebden and Storm Hunter are there so we have plenty of options for the mixed doubles.
“Alex might be in a situation where he plays three sets against Cam Norrie and maybe it’s not in his best interests to back up and play the mixed.
“Alex playing Boulter would add a bit of spice.”
De Minaur, 24, will have guaranteed matches against Taylor Fritz and Norrie just weeks before the Australian Open, when he will eyeing off his best finish at his home grand slam.
He made the fourth round in 2022 and 2023 but Masur believes de Minaur is ready to take the next step because he has grown in confidence since he beat world No.3 Daniil Medvedev in Canada this year.
“That win helped him a lot because he was very good at beating the people he should beat but he was struggling to beat the very best,’’ Masur said.
“That win gave him the belief that he could do it.
“The big thing is that he’s marrying up his personality, which is to be pretty aggressive with his physique, which is probably to be a counter-puncher where he uses his opponent’s pace.
“He’s coming in to his best years now. Will he do better than the fourth round at the Australian Open? He absolutely will.
“I’ve known Alex since he was 12 and I’ve always thought he was this smaller guy punching above his weight.
“He’s a funny guy because he has the personality to be aggressive but the physique to be more of a counter-puncher.
“It seems to me that he’s almost marrying the two now and striking a balance between the two.
“He’s 13 in the world right now but he’s going to do some damage, not only at this event.”
Matching it with the top players is the final step for de Minaur, who has the fitness and belief to compete with anyone.
His power game has been questioned but Australian tennis great Mark Philippoussis has noticed more aggression from de Minaur, which will hold him in good stead if he faces heavyweights Novak Djokovic or Carlos Alcaraz in Melbourne.
“Of course he can contend at the Australian Open,” Philippoussis said.
“First of all, he needs to get through the first week. Best of five sets is a different animal to three sets.
“Best of three sets, you are going to see a lot of the top players lose certain matches that you don’t expect them to lose, but best of five is a different thing.
“To beat a top player three out of five sets, physically and mentally trying to stay with them is a different thing.
“That’s why you are seeing Djokovic and Alcaraz who are animals and they have had the years that they have had.
“De Minaur has the mentality and physicality but he has to be a bit more aggressive, which he has been.”
UNITED CUP GROUPS
Group stage December 29 to January 5; finals January 6/7
PERTH
Group A
Poland (Top player: Iga Swiatek)
Spain (Top player: Alejandro Davidovich Fokina)
WTA TBC
Group C
United States (Top player: Jessica Pegula)
Great Britain (Top player: Cameron Norrie)
Australia (Top player: Alex de Minaur)
Group E
Czech Republic (Top player: Marketa Vondrousova)
China (Top player: Qinwen Zheng)
Serbia (Top player: Novak Djokovic)
SYDNEY
Group B
Greece (Top player: Maria Sakkari)
Canada (Top player: Felix Auger-Aliassime)
ATP TBC
Group D
France (Top player: Caroline Garcia)
Italy (Top player: Jasmine Paolini)
Germany (Top player: Alexander Zverev)
Group F
Croatia (Top player: Donna Vekic)
Netherlands (Top player: Tallon Griekspoor)
Norway (Top player: Casper Ruud)
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