A spot in the world’s top four awaits if Alex de Minaur can kick his serve up a gear, Australian tennis legend John Newcombe says.<\/p>\n
De Minaur claimed a fourth Newcombe Medal, and third in a row, at Australian tennis’s night of nights in Melbourne on Monday, winning from fellow nominees Maya Joint, Kim Birrell, Adam Walton, Priscilla Hon and Tristan Schoolkate.<\/p>\n
He is now second only to retired great Ash Barty, who won the top honour five times.<\/p>\n
It was a fitting reward for yet another season where the gritty Sydneysider again upped his game.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
John Newcombe speaks after Alex de Minaur was awarded the Newcombe Medal. (Getty Images: Graham Denholm)<\/p>\n
De Minaur joined his mentor, Lleyton Hewitt, and the great Newcombe himself, as only the third Australian to make the semifinals of the ATP’s prestigious season-ending championship.<\/p>\n
In October, de Minaur matched his career-high ranking of world number six, and remains the only Australian man since Hewitt 20 years ago to crack the top 10.<\/p>\n
But a grand slam title \u2014 or even semifinal appearance \u2014 still eludes the six-time quarterfinalist, who has never beaten world number two and two-time defending Australian Open champion Jannik Sinner in 13 attempts.<\/p>\n
Newcombe still believes the hard-working de Minaur can elevate himself to the group directly below the all-conquering top two of Carlos Alcaraz and Sinner.<\/p>\n
“De Minaur’s progression has been fantastic \u2014 each year he gets that little bit better,” Newcombe said on Monday.<\/p>\n
“And I think myself, like everybody else says, ‘Oh, come on, Alex, if you just had a better serve, you’d be in the top four.’<\/p>\n
“So let’s hope that he can do something about that.”<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Maya Joint speaks after finishing runner-up in the Newcombe Medal. (Getty Images: Graham Denholm)<\/p>\n
Teen sensation Joint was the pick of the runners-up after a breakout season.<\/p>\n
Newcombe feels young talent like Joint and 17-year-old female junior athlete of the year Emerson Jones can lead an Australian tennis renaissance.<\/p>\n
Cruz Hewitt, the 16-year-old son of Lleyton, won the male junior athlete of the year award.<\/p>\n
“Obviously because we’ve been at great heights we want to see Wimbledon champions and things like that,” Newcombe said.<\/p>\n
“We went adrift here for a while, and I get the feeling we’re heading back.<\/p>\n
“There’s some new young talent coming up that are doing well.”<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Cruz Hewitt accepts his award from Todd Woodbridge during the Newcombe Awards. (Getty Images: Graham Denholm)<\/p>\n
Joint, who switched allegiances from the US to Australia in 2023, this year captured her first two WTA titles, on clay at Rabat and on grass at Eastbourne<\/p>\n
The 19-year-old is currently world number 32, the country’s top-ranked woman, and is set to be seeded for the first time at January’s Australian Open, with Newcombe expecting big things.<\/p>\n
“I’ve been really impressed by Maya Joint,” Newcombe said.<\/p>\n
“She’s had a terrific year and she’s just starting to believe that she belongs right up there at the top.<\/p>\n
“She’s the quiet achiever, isn’t she, Maya?<\/p>\n
“She just goes about her business and nothing really flashy, but she gets the job done \u2014 and I think she’s probably just touching the edges of how good she can actually be.”<\/p>\n
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