Alex de Minaur has put together a career-best year in 2024.
From a top-30 finish in 2022 to the top 15 in 2023, the Australian has continued climbing to end this year in the top 10 for the first time.
With three consecutive grand slam quarter-final finishes, his biggest grand slam win over Daniil Medvedev and a career-high singles ranking of world No.6, de Minaur can be satisfied with his achievements.
Alex de Minaur front media ahead of the United Cup. Edwina Pickles via SMH Sport
But he isn't and he wants more in a blockbuster 2025.
"I definitely have plenty of goals in my head [for next year]. I'm not really one to voice them out loud too often, but ultimately, to keep pushing myself," he told media on Monday.
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"I've had my best year to date, but at the same time, I'm not satisfied with that. I want more. I want to keep pushing myself. I want to one day finish my career knowing that I gave the absolute max and everything I could do to be the best possible tennis player.
"So that's still the goal. Still pushing, still striving for more, [to] keep trying to work hard, get better, and keep tweaking parts of my game to hopefully get those results."
After a fourth-round finish at the Australian Open in January — his third straight year with the same result — de Minaur progressed to the quarter-finals at Roland-Garros, Wimbledon and the US Open.
De Minaur finished the year as world No.9, after becoming the first Australian since Lleyton Hewitt to qualify for the ATP Finals.
The 25-year-old lost all three of his fixtures as he rebuilt match practice following a hip injury that derailed his season from Wimbledon.
De Minaur suffered the injury late in his fourth-round win over Arthur Fils at the All England Club, forcing him to retire from his quarter-final against Novak Djokovic.
But despite being under a lingering injury cloud ahead of the Australian summer, de Minaur says he is fit and ready for Team Australia's opening United Cup clash against Argentina in Sydney on Saturday.
"I'm feeling great," he said.
"It was a tough year obviously dealing with that [hip injury], so I'm glad that I can finally put it on the back burner and forget about it.
Alex de Minaur suffered a hip injury during Wimbledon in July. AP
"I've felt very good in this off-season. In this pre-season, we've put in a lot of good work. The body is feeling very comfortable and I am genuinely very excited to get started again."
Almost 12 months ago, wins over Novak Djokovic, Taylor Fritz and Alexander Zverev at the United Cup launched de Minaur's season in eye-catching fashion.
In his home city of Sydney, de Minaur will kick-start his 2025 campaign against Argentina's Tomas Martin Etcheverry.
"It was extremely important [the United Cup 2024], obviously for my confidence, for using it as a springboard to take my game to a different level, and also cracking the top 10, and a lot of those milestone moments," de Minaur said.
"That was really important for me, and I think I was able to use the confidence that I gathered in the first week of the year and basically have my best year to date.
"It's great coming in at the start of the year and tuning in from the start. I've been blessed to play some of the best players in the world at the start of the year, and it is the perfect way to kind of get ready for the Australian Open and see where your level is at."
