The clay courts of Roland Garros will hold no fear for Alex de Minaur on his quick return to Paris as the spearhead of Australian Olympic tennis.
A quarter-finalist at Roland Garros this month, the world number 9 was named on Wednesday among a nine-player Australian contingent who will compete in Paris from July 27.
De Minaur will play singles and doubles, his Olympic debut having been in the works for three years after the 25-year-old was ruled out on the eve of the Tokyo Games when he contracted COVID-19.
Current world number one doubles players Matt Ebden (doubles), Alexei Popyrin (singles), Chris O’Connell (singles) and Rinky Hijikata (singles) will also make their debuts, while a fit-again Ajla Tomljanovic (singles), Ellen Perez (doubles) and Daria Saville (doubles) will be competing in their second Olympic Games.
Doubles specialist John Peers will partner Ebden for his third Olympics, with the pair hoping to replicate Todd Woodbridge and Mark Woodforde’s run to gold in 1996, which remains the country’s only Games tennis title.
Three-time Olympic champion Lleyton Hewitt will captain the men’s team, while Sam Stosur, the only Australian to have competed at five Olympic Games, will lead the women’s team in Paris.
Jordan Thompson, Australia’s number two singles player and world number 39, has opted out of the Games and will instead defend his ranking points on the ATP Tour.
Max Purcell, who played singles for Australia at the Tokyo Games, could have taken a place in the doubles but also chose not to compete as he attempts to improve his singles ranking of 94th.
The Roland Garros venue will be only the second Olympic event on clay and the first since the Barcelona Games in 1992.
“I always wanted to be an Olympian,” de Minaur said ahead of his Wimbledon campaign starting Monday.
“Last time I was a bit unlucky not to be able to play in Tokyo, but I have my eyes set on Paris and I’m super excited to now officially be part of this team.
“I’m really looking forward to immersing myself in what it means to be an Olympian.
“I’m looking forward to experiencing all the other sports, meeting some of my fellow athletes and teammates and making new Australian friends.”
Tomljanovic indicated her recent run of injuries may be behind her as she beat four top-60 opponents en route to her first tour-level singles final in more than five years on grass in Birmingham last week.
“I feel good… every match I have under my belt brings me closer to the level of play I want to reach,” said the former world number 32.
“Physically, I recover well after matches, which is the most important thing, so I am very happy with my health, and I think the more time I spend on the court, the better I will be for Paris.”
PAA
