He has the same “I-can-win-any-match” attitude. He pounds his chest with similar enthusiasm after big wins, and Alex de Minaur’s tennis still thrives best when saturated with emotion.

But the 18-year-old Aussie, who, for the second year in a row, delighted his home fans during the Australian summer, believes he’s a different player than he was in 2017, when he earned his first tour-level wins in January.

De Minaur is stronger – physically and mentally – than he was 12 months ago, and he carries with him the experiences of his first full season as a professional tennis player, a year that saw him start strong in his home country but not win another tour-level match after January.

“I think it’s more of just believing in myself. I have been bringing out this level but just not sustaining it. Now I have seemed to find my way and am sustaining it and playing a lot of good matches in a row,” said de Minaur, who started 2018 7-3 in Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne.

“It’s all about maintaining that. At the end of the day, I’m just going to get out there and on court, give it my all, and that’s what I want to do every day. That’s what I want to be known for, and that’s what I want other players to know about me, that I’m never going to give up.”

The 18-year-old has convinced a continent of that. He checked off a trifecta of accomplishments last year in Australia that can take years for some players to achieve. De Minaur qualified for his first tour-level tournament (Brisbane International presented by Suncorp); he earned his first tour-level win (Sydney International, d. Paire); and at his home Grand Slam, the Australian Open, he celebrated his maiden Slam victory (d. Gerald Melzer).

This year, while facing the pressure of trying to back up those results, de Minaur improved at almost every tournament. The 5’11” right-hander made the semi-finals in Brisbane, beating two-time ATP World Tour titlist Steve Johnson before sweeping former World No. 3 Milos Raonic, the 2016 Brisbane champion (d. Federer). In Sydney, de Minaur played for his first ATP World Tour title, falling to Russian Daniil Medvedev in three sets.

Read More: With Hewitt By His Side, #NextGenATP de Minaur Is Full Of Confidence

“It’s great to see that I’ve got the level to beat these guys, and make back-to-back great results. That’s something I was really trying to work on from last year, and to be more consistent, and I felt like I proved myself there in that aspect these two weeks,” he said.

A countryman who knows everything about belief and self-confidence has aided de Minaur’s maturation. Former World No. 1 Lleyton Hewitt has been a steady voice for de Minaur, helping the teenager navigate day-to-day life on the ATP World Tour.

“He’s obviously been through everything that tennis has to offer, so he knows how to deal with so many different scenarios… how to deal with expectations and pressures and, just playing big guys. It’s all there. He gives me a lot of advice, and the only thing I do is take it all in,” de Minaur said.

The Aussie also credited his coach, Adolfo Gutierrez. The two train together in Alicante, Spain, where de Minaur views every practice as a chance to improve his evolving game. “Every day is another chance to get better,” he said.

If the Sydney native can keep improving, he will find himself among the ATP World Tour’s elite 21-and-under players at the end of the season. De Minaur, with 240 points, is currently second in the ATP Race To Milan, which will determine seven of the eight players who compete at the Next Gen ATP Finals in Milan. Last year’s champion, Hyeon Chung of South Korea, just reached the semi-finals at the 2018 Australian Open (ret. v. Federer).

See Who’s Leading The ATP Race To Milan

“It’s still very early but I’m just focusing match by match, point by point. I don’t really want to get too ahead of myself,” de Minaur said.

“It’s all about me believing… I think that’s finally happening and I’m very proud of even all the work I’m doing off court as well. That’s, I think, really helping me on court and you can see the results now.”

This month has been a contrast of sorts for Colombian tennis. 

While Juan Sebastian Cabal and Robert Farah reached their first Grand Slam final as a team by defeating Bob and Mike Bryan 7-6(1), 7-5 at the Australian Open, their countryman, Alejandro Falla, announced his retirement after 18 years as a professional.

“So many emotions are going through my head right now,” the 34-year-old said during a press conference in Bogota. “From memories of the sacrifices I made when I was a kid, to the immense happiness I get because I fulfilled dreams that seemed impossible to achieve, I’m proud to have followed this path, one of discipline. But now the time has come to move on to the next stage of my life.”

Falla, who turned professional in 2000, ends his ATP World Tour career with a tour-level record of 114-169. The left-hander reached two ATP World Tour finals — at 2013 Bogota (l. to Karlovic) and 2014 Halle (l. to Federer). He played in 34 Grand Slam championship main draws, advancing to the fourth round at Roland Garros in 2011, the third round at Wimbledon in 2012 and the third round of the Australian Open in both 2010 and 2012. Falla also claimed 11 ATP Challenger Tour titles and reached a career high of No. 48 in the ATP Rankings in July 2012.

Falla also proved his level against some of the best players on the ATP World Tour, earning four Top 10 victories throughout his career. The lefty holds wins over Nikolay Davydenko (No. 6), Mardy Fish (No. 8), Tommy Haas (No. 9) and John Isner (No. 10). Falla gave Roger Federer a serious scare in June 2010 at Wimbledon, when the Colombian came within a game of upsetting the defending champion at 7-5, 6-4, 5-4 before succumbing to the Swiss in five sets.

Falla’s compatriot, Cabal, praised his countryman for his accomplishments and for what he did for tennis in Colombia.

“After Mauricio Hadad (No. 78 in 1995) and Miguel Tobon (No. 205 in 1996) there was a gap [in Colombian tennis],” Cabal said. “Falla emerged first, and set a great example for the rest of us. [Santiago] Giraldo, [Alejandro] Gonzalez, the bunch of us, we all pushed through with hard work and patience.”

The comeback continues! Kei Nishikori looks to build momentum in his return to professional tennis at this week’s RBC Tennis Championships of Dallas, a $125,000 event on the ATP Challenger Tour.

The Japanese star, who just 10 months ago ascended to a career-high World No. 4 in the ATP Rankings, is seeking his first win of the year as he makes his return from injury. It will be deja vu for Nishikori, who drew American Dennis Novikov as his first-round opponent in Dallas. Novikov prevailed in the top seed’s comeback debut last week in Newport Beach, California.

Should Nishikori advance, he will face either Germany’s Matthias Bachinger or a qualifier in the second round. Big-hitting #NextGenATP Reilly Opelka looms large as potential quarter-final opponent, with fourth seed Bjorn Fratangelo and fifth seed Alexander Bublik also in his half of the draw.

Want to catch Nishikori throughout the week in Dallas? We’ve got you covered. There’s no need to hop on a plane for the heart of Texas. You can watch every moment with our free live streaming of the ATP Challenger Tour below and on ATPChallengerTour.com.

You can pick and choose your favourite Roger Federer number – 20 Grand Slam titles, six Australian Open crowns, 36 years old – but they’re all reaching the stage of indescribable.

Another example: 53, his tally of “Big Titles” after earning back-to-back Australian Open crowns on Sunday for only the second time in his career (2006-07). In addition to his 20 Grand Slams, Federer’s Hall-of-Fame career has also featured six Nitto ATP Finals titles and 27 ATP World Tour Masters 1000 crowns.

But his 20^th major title was especially sweet, Federer admitted after beating Croatia’s Marin Cilic 6-2, 6-7(5), 6-3, 3-6, 6-1 to improve to 9-1 in their FedEx ATP Head2Head series. “Getting to 20 is obviously very, very special, no doubt,” he said.

It seems like a decade ago, not 14 months, when Federer was in the midst of his biggest Grand Slam title slump. From January 2010 to December 2016, Federer had won only two Grand Slam titles – 2010 Australian Open and 2012 Wimbledon. Not since before 2003 Wimbledon, when he won his first Grand Slam title, had Federer endured such a stretch.

Current and Former Champions’ Big Titles Won (Records Since 1990) 

 * Becker’s four other Grand Slam titles came before 1990.
** Edberg’s three other Grand Slam titles came before 1990.  

Toss in his knee surgery and his six months away from the sport in the second half of 2016, and it becomes easier to remember why he and his millions of fans wondered if he would ever kiss another Grand Slam trophy. Yet here Federer is at 36, an age known as “ancient” in tennis a decade ago, having won three of the past five Grand Slam tournaments.

“I can’t believe it myself. I just got to keep a good schedule, stay hungry, then maybe good things can happen. Then I don’t think age is an issue, per se. It’s just a number,” Federer said. “But I need to be very careful in my planning, really decide beforehand what are my goals, what are my priorities. I think that’s what’s going to dictate how successful I will be.”

Longest Streaks Of Grand Slam Titles By Federer & Rafael Nadal

Federer’s rivals, however, remain close behind the Swiss star in the Big Titles count. Novak Djokovic has 47 Big Titles and leads everyone, including Federer, in his efficiency at the biggest tournaments. Djokovic has played 159 Grand Slams, Nitto ATP Finals and Masters 1000 tournaments, and he’s won 47 Big Titles, which means, on average, he hoists a Big Title about every three opportunities (3.4). The Serbian is also tied with Federer and Roy Emerson for the all-time Australian Open titles lead at six.

Most Australian men’s singles titles (all-time)

Active players in bold

Nadal has also won Big Titles on a more consistent basis than Federer. The Spaniard has contested 161 Grand Slams, Nitto ATP Finals and Masters 1000 tournaments, and has claimed 46 Big Titles (every 3.5 on average).

But Federer said he’s not worried about extending any title lead against the current greats – Djokovic and Nadal – or the retired legends, including Emerson and Pete Sampras.

Watch Federer Tribute

“It doesn’t matter. It’s about living the emotions that I went through tonight again at the trophy ceremony, going through a tough rollercoaster match, five-setter against Cilic, who is a great player, and then getting No. 6 here, No. 20 overall. It’s just a very special moment,” Federer said.

“Defending my title from last year, sort of the fairytale continues. That’s what stands out for me, maybe not equaling Emerson or Novak. They had their own unbelievable careers. I admire what they’re doing and have done with Emo. It’s definitely a very special moment in my life again.”

Because, for Federer, during the 200^th Grand Slam tournament of the Open Era (since April 1968) and the 50^th Australian Open, celebrating his 20^th Grand Slam title was good enough.

Federer In Grand Slam Finals

No. 29 Hyeon Chung, +29
The 21-year-old became the first South Korean player to reach the semi-finals of a Grand Slam championship. With back-to-back wins at the Australian Open over fourth seed Alexander Zverev and six-time former champion Novak Djokovic, Chung continued his great rise after winning the inaugural Next Gen ATP Finals in November 2017. He soars 29 places to a career-high No. 29 in the ATP Rankings.

No. 3 Marin Cilic, +3
The Croatian star has moved to a career-high No. 3 after a sensational runner-up finish at the Australian Open. The final appearance was Cilic’s second in six months at Grand Slam level after also finishing runner-up to Roger Federer at The Championships at Wimbledon in July 2017. Cilic overcame World No. 1 Rafael Nadal and Britain’s Kyle Edmund to reach his first final at Melbourne Park. Read & Watch Final Highlights

No. 26 Kyle Edmund, +23
The 23-year-old Briton reached his first Grand Slam semi-final at the Australian Open, after winning five matches in an event for the first time in his career. Edmund beat 2017 US Open runner-up Kevin Anderson in the first round and then-World No. 3 and 2017 Nitto ATP Finals titlist Grigor Dimitrov in a dramatic quarter-final. Edmund rises 23 places to a career-high No. 26. Edmund is now just six places behind Andy Murray, who has been the British No. 1 since 2006.

No. 55 Tennys Sandgren, +42
Tennys Sandgren came into the Australian Open without a win at Grand Slam level, but reached the quarter-finals after four impressive wins. The 26-year-old American had previously played the majority of his tennis on the ATP Challenger Tour, with three titles to his name, before a stunning run that saw him beat three-time Grand Slam champion Stan Wawrinka and No. 5 seed Dominic Thiem. Sandgren rises 42 places to a career-high of No. 55.

View Latest ATP Rankings

Other Notable Top 100 Moves This Week
No. 14 Nick Kyrgios, +3
No. 16 Tomas Berdych, +4
No. 22 Fabio Fognini, +3
No. 63 Marton Fucsovics, +17
No. 76 Taylor Fritz, +15
No. 80 Nicolas Kicker, +13
No. 82 Maximilian Marterer, +12
No. 85 Vasek Pospisil, +20
No. 96 Nicolas Jarry, +6

A LOOK BACK
Oracle Challenger Series Newport Beach (Newport Beach, California, USA): Taylor Fritz couldn’t have dreamt of a better start to the year. Just three weeks after kicking off 2018 with a final run at the ATP Challenger Tour event in Noumea, the #NextGenATP American went one step further on Sunday in Newport Beach. Fritz lifted a trophy for the first time in two years, rallying past countryman Bradley Klahn 3-6, 7-5, 6-0 in one hour and 35 minutes.

The 20-year-old is not only up to No. 76 in the ATP Rankings, his highest position in more than a year, but the California native also moves to third in the ATP Race To Milan. On the rise once again, Fritz is targeting a Top 50 breakthrough in 2018.

“I have a couple goals. My first goal is to be in the Top 50,” Fritz said. “I’ve been trying to do that for a while now and I think everything is starting to come together. It started coming together at the end of last year. Stay healthy and then long term, once I get to that goal, I really want to get seeded at the Australian Open next year. That’s my ultimate goal for this year.

“[Winning this title] just felt so good. Even though it was 5-0 (in the third set), I wanted it so bad. I was super tense. It’s been so long since I’ve won a title, which made it even more special. It’s been two years since I’ve won a tournament. It means so much for my confidence to get me back on track.”

Open de Rennes (Rennes, France): Second seed Vasek Pospisil claimed his sixth ATP Challenger Tour title on Sunday in Rennes, routing Ricardas Berankis 6-1, 6-2 in 72 minutes. The Canadian has won 10 straight matches on the circuit, dating back to his victory in Busan, South Korea in May 2017. His impressive ATP Rankings ascent continues as well, returning to the Top 100 at No. 85. Pospisil, who stunned then-World No. 1 Andy Murray at the ATP World Tour Masters 1000 event in Indian Wells last year, is trending upwards as he seeks a return to top form.

Vasek Pospisil has his first ?of 2018! The ?? celebrates the title in Rennes and a return to the Top 100 of the #ATP Rankings. Congrats @VasekPospisil! pic.twitter.com/cWePMLgEuy

— ATP Challenger Tour (@ATPChallenger) January 28, 2018

A LOOK AHEAD
Kei Nishikori continues his comeback at the RBC Tennis Championships of Dallas, where he is joined by #NextGenATP Americans Frances Tiafoe, Taylor Fritz, Tommy Paul and Reilly Opelka. Former champion Tim Smyczek is also in the field.

Meanwhile, in Burnie, Australia, Marcel Granollers is the top seed and is in search of his third title to open the year. Japan’s Yoshihito Nishioka is also on the comeback trail after suffering a torn ACL in 2017. In Quimper, France, Stefanos Tsitsipas is the top seed, with fifth seed Quentin Halys leading home hopes.