Alex de Minaur in telling revelation about girlfriend ahead of Australian Open

Alex de Minaur and his girlfriend Katie Boulter have addressed the frenzy of media attention towards them in the lead-up to the Australian Open. The pair are one of the latest power couples in world tennis, with fans eager to learn more about the private lives of the two players off the court.

During last year's Wimbledon tournament, de Minaur revealed that he was followed around by paparazzi and members of the British press, describing it as an "incredible experience". The 24-year-old admitted it was something he never envisaged when he started dating one of Britain's leading female stars before the iconic grass court grand slam.

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"It was definitely odd,” De Minaur told The Guardian about his experience with the British press during Wimbledon. “It was my first time ever being followed by paparazzi.

"That’s something I wasn’t expecting, to the point that they found out where we were staying, and they were waiting for us the following morning. That, for me, was incredible to experience, it is something I never thought was possible. And that’s all because of Katie.”

The script has now been flipped on its head before the Australian Open - which gets underway at Melbourne Park on Sunday - with de Minaur the star attraction for home fans. De Minaur's name is on the lips of most local supporters after his stunning form leading into the tournament - including four wins over top-10 players across the last fortnight.

Among the Aussie's big-name scalps are World No.1 and 24-time major winner Novak Djokovic, World No.2 Carlos Alcaraz, sixth seed Alexander Zverev and American Taylor Fritz. De Minaur's superb form has seen him become the first Aussie since Lleyton Hewitt in 2006 to head into the Australian Open inside the world's top-10 and Boulter admits the buzz around her boyfriend has been electric.

Katie Boulter enjoying 'circus' with boyfriend Alex de Minaur

“It’s really hard to describe. I mean, I can’t walk down the street with him separately," Boulter said about de Minaur. "I feel like I’m sharing him with everyone, which isn’t a bad thing. I think it’s definitely been fun to be a part of because it’s been a little bit of a circus, but a good circus.

“I think it’s awesome that he’s getting the attention that he really does deserve. He’s put the work in for it. He’s playing some of the best tennis of his life. It really does fill me with a lot of pride to actually watch him at this moment because I know everything that he’s been through, how hard and how strong he is with everything he does.

“It’s been a pleasure to watch and be a part of it at the same time. I’ll continue to support him with everything that he does, no matter the good and the bad.” De Minaur was not dealt the kindest of draws after being pitted against former World No.3 Milos Raonic in the opening round, with Russian fifth seed Andrey Rublev, World No.4 Jannik Sinner and Djokovic also on the same side of the Aussie's draw.

Alex de Minaur eager to stick to normal routines

Despite carrying the nation's hopes on his shoulders and dealing with the increased media scrutiny that comes with being Australia's top-ranked player, de Minaur is determined to remain grounded and says it's important to stick to his usual routines. “Look, there are a lot of eyeballs, there is a lot of attention,” he admitted. But I’m trying to do the same things as I normally would. And for me, nothing really changes. And I don’t really want it to change.

We’re very low-key when it comes to these things. I’ve always wanted to let my tennis do the talking. I don’t need anything else. If people are talking about me, it’s because I’m doing something, so I’d like to keep it to that.” Fans will have to wait until day two to see de Minaur in action when he takes on Raonic in the first round of the Australian Open.

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