De Minaur says Australia ready to snap Davis Cup title drought

AFP | Sydney

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Alex de Minaur says his ultimate tennis goal is to win the Davis Cup, with the world number eight confident Australia have the goods to secure their first title since 2003.

Australia have lifted the trophy 28 times, second only to the United States, but going the distance has long proved elusive. They lost in the semi-finals last year to Jannik Sinner’s Italy, having been runners-up in the two editions before that to Italy and Canada respectively.

Australia, captained once again by Lleyton Hewitt, host Belgium this weekend in a second-round qualifier at Sydney’s Ken Rosewall Arena.

“These weeks are the funnest in my schedule, that’s for sure, because it’s a very lonely sport throughout the year,” said De Minaur, who lost in the US Open quarter-finals last week.

“For me, the ultimate goal is to lift the title. That’s been a priority of mine for my whole career. That’s why I prioritise these weeks, no matter when it was in the schedule.”

With seven singles players and seven doubles players ranked inside the ATP top 100, Australia have the firepower to contend for a 29th crown and De Minaur believes they are well-equipped to challenge once again.