Five Minutes With... Alex de Minaur and Frances Tiafoe

For a tennis player to perform at his or her peak level, one word is frequently served up: preparation. Laying the foundation for a potentially prosperous week begins with the actual journey. From flight changes and baggage ordeals to routinely circling the globe seeking points and prize money, getting from place to place is an uncompromising and often unpleasant part of life on tour.

Over the past two seasons, Alex de Minaur and Frances Tiafoe have learned to manage this part of the job. The pair of Next Gen stars—the Aussie turns 21 in February; the American turns 22 in January—are two of the most promising talents expected to challenge for major hardware in the coming years, though they have their differences when it comes to travel.

Nicknamed “Demon,” de Minaur finished runner-up at the 2019 Next Gen ATP Finals. Ten months earlier, Tiafoe reached the last eight at de Minaur’s home Slam, the Aussie Open. (Getty Images)

Which three items can you not travel without?

AD: My phone charger, my headphones, and I need to have comfortable clothes on.

FT: My passport! (laughter) I can’t leave the house without a speaker; need to be blasting tunes completely. HDMI cord for shows and things like that. I’m tired of holding the phone all the time. And then a couple of my necklaces and chains.

Which apps dominate your battery usage?

AD: Social media—I’m not very proud of this. Instagram and Twitter, and I need to communicate with everyone, so WhatsApp.

FT: Instagram. Can’t get off the ‘Gram.

What is your next bucket-list destination?

AD: I want to go to the Maldives. If I ever get some time to go on a holiday, that’s where I’ll go.

FT: Ibiza and Bali, I definitely want to check [them] out. You won’t see me in Colorado. Those hot climates, I think I got to hit them up.

Aisle or window seat?

AD: Window seat, 100 percent.

FT: Depends on how tired I am. People always want to go to the bathroom, and that annoys me.

But I prefer aisle.

What tournament would you like to play that you haven’t?

AD: There’s a lot of them, but one that stands out now is London, the ATP Finals. At this stage, that’s obviously the goal.

FT: I want to play Dubai one year. And then the South American events on clay. Those countries and people seem cool.