De Minaur shows off trick shot in quarantine

Like most of the players in Australia, Alex de Minaur is quarantined inside a hotel room for most of the day. Everyone is trying to the most of their time inside, and the Aussie is even getting a few trick shots in.

While showing off his new ASICS shoes, De Minaur worked on his speed before suddenly rolling onto the bed and launching a tennis ball with (almost) perfect precision into a cardboard box. For his next trick, De Minaur should take his skills to the Melbourne Park courts (he's part of the lucky group permitted to practice).

Currently ranked No. 23, De Minaur started off 2021 with a title in Antalya and will compete for Australia at the ATP Cup next week. He'll then have a lot of eyes on him as the highest-ranked Aussie male in the Australian Open draw.

Speaking about 2020 and his quarterfinal run at the US Open, the 21-year-old said, "Obviously I had my best result at a Slam but it doesn't feel like my best achievement.

"It was still a dark time. I wasn't feeling great. It was just mentally, I wouldn't say my best performance."

He spent most of the 2020 coronavirus lockdown alone at his training base in Spain. Understandably, he had greater expectations for his season, but the abbreviated schedule made significant progress difficult. It just means he's got more to look forward to in 2021.

With only a few days left of his Melbourne quarantine, he is more than ready for a taste of true freedom.

"I'm sure that will feel amazing," he said.