Alex de Minaur Battles Hip Injury Amid U.S. Open Hopes

World number 10, Alex de Minaur, struggles with a lingering hip injury at the U.S. Open. After pulling out of Wimbledon and missing the Paris Olympics, his performance is uncertain. De Minaur faces challenges adapting his game but remains focused on qualifying for the ATP Finals in Turin.

World number 10 Alex de Minaur is contending with a hip injury as he competes in the U.S. Open. The Australian, who withdrew from his Wimbledon quarter-final and missed the Paris Olympics due to a cartilage tear in his hip, may not be fit for his second-round match against Finnish qualifier Otto Virtanen.

Despite battling through his first-round match against Marcus Giron, winning in four sets, De Minaur's ability to compete on Thursday remains uncertain. According to Australian media, De Minaur had a light training session but admitted he was struggling to adapt his game to protect the injury.

"It's super hard," De Minaur told Australian media. "The actual concept of not trying to retrieve every single ball on the court is tough. I've always been taught to make every ball back. Now, I have to think more and play differently to look after myself, which is challenging."

Aware that his time away from the court has affected his ATP Finals ranking, De Minaur remains determined to qualify for the event in Turin. "The goal is Turin, and missing big tournaments has hurt my chances. I wanted to return to the tour as quickly as possible, but knowing I'm not 100% makes it difficult," he stated.

(With inputs from agencies.)