Alex de Minaur, Ajla Tomljanovic to lead Australia's tennis team to Paris Olympics
Australia's Alex de Minaur returns the ball to Italy's Lorenzo Musetti during their men's singles match on day four of The Queen's Club tennis tournament, in London, Tuesday, June 18, 2024. Credit: AP/Zac Goodwin
SYDNEY — Alex de Minaur is set to make his Olympic debut in Paris three years after being forced out of the Tokyo Games because of COVID-19.
Ninth-ranked de Minaur was among the nine tennis players chosen Wednesday for Australia's Olympic team. Ajla Tomljanovic will be the only Australian in the women's singles draw in Paris.
“Obviously last time round I got a little bit unlucky to not be able to play in Tokyo, but I’ve had my eyes set on Paris and I am super excited to now be officially part of this team,” de Minaur, who has nine career ATP titles, said.
Alexei Popyrin, Chris O’Connell and Rinky Hijikata will join de Minaur in men’s singles. Matt Ebden, No. 1 in the doubles world rankings, will team with Tokyo 2020 mixed doubles bronze medalist John Peers in men’s doubles. De Minaur and Popyrin will also compete in men’s doubles.
Ellen Perez, the world ninth-ranked women's doubles player, will partner Daria Saville in women’s doubles.
Triple Olympian and two-time Grand Slam singles champion Lleyton Hewitt will captain the men’s team. Sam Stosur, Australia’s only five-time tennis Olympian and 2011 U.S. Open singles champion, will lead the women’s team.
Roland Garros will host the Paris tennis competition from July 27 to Aug. 4, the first time since Barcelona in 1992 that the Olympic tournament is being played on clay.
Ajla Tomljanovic in action against Yulia Putintseva during the women's singles final on day nine of the Rothesay Classic at Edgbaston Priory Club, Birmingham, England, Sunday June 23, 2024. Credit: AP/Jacob King