A new behind-the-scenes film tracks Alex de Minaur’s Australian summer, following the world No. 6 as he returns home ahead of the Australian Open and navigates the spotlight that comes with being the country’s top men’s player. The documentary, titled Demon Down Under and released on January 22, features interviews with his inner circle, including coach Matt Reid, long-time coach Adolfo Gutierrez, strength and conditioning coach Francisco Hijano Calderon, team manager Kathryn Oyeniyi, and his fiancée, WTA player Katie Boulter.
Inside Alex de Minaur’s Journey to the Australian Open
The film presents de Minaur as a player who draws energy from competing on home soil and considers the Australian Open the key event on his calendar. It also shows the strain of the build-up in Melbourne, where media duties and sponsor appearances intensify in the week before the tournament, leaving little downtime as he tries to fine-tune preparations.
De Minaur’s team describes a carefully built support system designed to keep him focused amid those demands. He is portrayed as trusting his coaches to push him when needed and to help him arrive at the event in the right frame of mind.
At 26 and a 10-time ATP Tour champion, de Minaur carries expectations from a nation that has not seen a home men’s singles winner at the Australian Open since 1976, when Mark Edmondson lifted the trophy. After reaching the quarter-finals in Melbourne last year, he has now made the last eight at all four Grand Slams and is targeting deeper runs.
The documentary highlights a tactical push to take more risks under pressure, a shift the team believes is necessary to challenge the very best, including Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner. The message is to commit to aggressive choices in key moments.
De Minaur also speaks about Australia’s tennis legacy, citing greats such as Rod Laver, Ken Rosewall, Tony Roche, Lleyton Hewitt, Pat Rafter, and John Newcombe as reference points for his own aspirations. He says he wants his career to be measured not only by results but by the inspiration he provides to the next generation.
Whatever the outcome this year at Melbourne Park, the film portrays a player driven by hunger and determination, intent on proving he belongs among the sport’s elite.