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Alex de Minaur joined Australian tennis royalty on Monday night, becoming just the third player \u2013 behind Sam Stosur and Ash Barty \u2013 to win at least two Newcombe Medals.<\/p>\n
The world No.12 was a richly deserving winner after a career-best season that included him winning his seventh title and first at ATP 500 level in Acapulco, Mexico, in March, before advancing to his maiden Masters 1000 final at Toronto, Canada.<\/p>\n
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A career-best season on the ATP tour has delivered Alex de Minaur\u2019s second Newcombe Medal.<\/span>Credit: <\/span>Getty<\/cite><\/p>\n De Minaur, 24, shared the Newcombe Medal with five-time recipient Barty in 2018, while Stosur won the first three, from 2010-12.<\/p>\n This year\u2019s other nominees were WTA doubles No.1 Storm Hunter, top-10 doubles player Matt Ebden, and Max Purcell, Alexei Popyrin and Rinky Hijikata, who all achieved career-high singles rankings in 2023.<\/b><\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m very sad that I wasn\u2019t able to attend the Newcombe Medal this year, and I\u2019m extremely grateful for this amazing award,\u201d de Minaur said in a video message from Europe.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s been a great year, not only for myself, but for all of Australian tennis and I think we should [all be] very proud indeed. (I) would also like to thank \u2018Newk\u2019 [John Newcombe]. Wish I could shake your hand right now and be there, but I appreciate everything you do for Australian tennis.\u201d<\/p>\n De Minaur reached his best ranking of 11 at the start of October, and remains hell-bent on gatecrashing the world\u2019s top 10 and making a bigger splash in the grand slams, starting with next month\u2019s Australian Open.<\/p>\n He enjoyed six top-10 victories this season \u2013 taking the scalps of Rafael Nadal, Andrey Rublev, Holger Rune (twice), Taylor Fritz and Daniil Medvedev \u2013 and recorded last-16 showings at the Australian and US opens.<\/p>\n De Minaur credits his new-found confidence against the tour\u2019s elite to his breakthrough win over Medvedev at last year\u2019s Paris Masters, which snapped his 18-match losing streak against top-five rivals.<\/p>\n However, Medvedev exacted revenge in the fourth round of the 2023 US Open, preventing the Australian star from booking a second grand slam quarter-final.<\/p>\n The Newcombe Medal is named after AUstralian tennis great John Newcombe.<\/span>Credit: <\/span>AP<\/cite><\/p>\n Meanwhile, Alicia Molik, who stepped down as Billie Jean King Cup captain after a decade in charge this year, received the Spirit of Tennis Award for her significant contribution to the sport.<\/p>\n Molik, 42, led Australia to two finals, in 2019 and 2022, after a stellar playing career where she made it to No. 8 in singles and No. 6 in doubles.<\/p>\n She is also the new tournament director for the Adelaide International, in her home state.<\/p>\n Charlie Camus, 17, was named male junior athlete of the year, while Emerson Jones, 15, and Taylah Preston, 18, were co-winners of female junior athlete of the year. Preston has won this award three years running and received a wildcard into next month\u2019s Australian Open.<\/p>\n Archie Graham won the most outstanding athlete with a disability award for the third time.<\/p>\n News, results and expert analysis from the weekend of sport sent every Monday. <\/i><\/b>Sign up for our Sport newsletter<\/i><\/b>.<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n<\/p>\n
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