De Minaur wants to be ‘honorary Brit’ in Wimbledon title push

Alex de Minaur achieved his first Wimbledon quarter-final on Monday and expressed openness to embracing the role of an “honorary Brit” to fuel his quest for a maiden Grand Slam title.

The Australian secured his place in the All England Club’s last eight with a four-set victory over France’s Arthur Fils. With no remaining home players in either men’s or women’s singles, the 25-year-old has garnered strong support from Wimbledon fans, partly due to his relationship with British number one Katie Boulter.

“I’ll gladly accept all the support I can get, absolutely. I can adopt the honorary Brit status here at Wimbledon,” de Minaur remarked. “I feel incredibly appreciated out there. Over the years, I’ve sensed a significant growth in the support I receive.”

Acknowledging his connection to British culture through Boulter, de Minaur noted, “Thanks to Katie, I’ve certainly been learning more about British culture. It’s been a journey.”

Ranked ninth globally, de Minaur defeated Fils 6-2, 6-4, 4-6, 6-3 and awaits the outcome of Novak Djokovic’s match against Holger Rune later in the day for a chance to reach the semi-finals.

After appearing to sustain a minor injury during the match’s final moments, de Minaur reassured fans about his condition, acknowledging discomfort but expressing confidence in his recovery efforts.

“Physically, it was a demanding match out there,” de Minaur explained. “I’m feeling a bit sore all over, but I’ve undergone recovery procedures and believe I’ll be in good shape tomorrow.”

De Minaur has previously defeated both Djokovic and Rune in past encounters, showcasing his capability to perform on various surfaces, notably winning the ‘s-Hertogenbosch title in the Netherlands recently.

“I’ll give it my all and leave everything on the court,” de Minaur affirmed, underscoring his determination to compete at his peak.