The contrast in build between Alex de Minaur when he first emerged as a promising talent to the man who will take to the court at Roland Garros on Saturday is subtle but significant.
The world No. 11, who plays Jan-Lennard Struff for a spot in the last 16 at the French Open, was a whippet-thin speedster with big dreams and a smile to match when he won a match on debut at the Australian Open eight years ago to signal his promise.
De Minaur is in no way a hulking giant but it is indisputable that the 25-year-old has filled out and is now capable of matching the muscle of the rivals who used to bully him on clay courts.
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It is something the German veteran, who reached the final of the Madrid Masters last year and recently claimed a clay court title in Munich, has noticed in the Australian ahead of what shapes as a David versus Goliath battle given Struff’s height and strength.
“I don’t run around in the weights (room) but I see the work. He’s working very, very hard,” Struff said.
It is something de Minaur, who leads their head-to-head battle 3-2 but is arguably the underdog given his late-maturing rival’s recent deeds on clay, has worked on for years.
Dating back to the pandemic the Sydneysider told this reporter he understood the key to success on clay courts was twofold, one half of it mental and the other aspect physical.
The Davis Cup star hits the ball with a flatter trajectory than most tour players, which can advantage him on grass and some hard courts, but can also leave him vulnerable on clay.
It made it harder for de Minaur, who credits partner Katie Boulter for helping him blossom as a player, as a younger competitor to place the ball in positions that would make physically stronger rivals feel uncomfortable on the slower, higher-bouncing surface.
He had to convince himself that he could succeed on clay, something that did not come naturally despite spending his childhood bouncing between Sydney and Alicante in Spain.
“I think a lot of it has been experience (and) mentality. Growing up Aussie, you look at clay in a different way to the way you look at grass. That is just pure fact,” he said in Paris.
“I wasn’t really quite prepared mentally to … have a good clay court swing. In a way, I didn’t really think I had it in me and … I didn’t think it suited my game.
“Two, probably physically, I’ve gained a lot of muscle, a lot of strength. Because my tennis itself, my groundstrokes are not probably best suited for clay (because) I don’t play with too many revolutions on the ball, that’s where the strength comes in. It allows me to maintain a pretty strong average rally ball that helps me hurt my opponents and not get pushed around.
“I think in the past, when I was a little bit lighter, I definitely felt like the bigger stronger guys could really push me around and bully me around the court.”
De Minaur storms through to 3rd Round | 01:14
The amiable Struff and de Minaur, who were both generous in their praise of their rival’s personality ahead of the clash, have met five times dating back to 2018, when the Australian won a tight battle at Indian Wells.
The No. 11 seed also won their most recent battle in the Miami Masters this year but Struff was an easy victor over the 25-year-old when they met on clay in Monte Carlo last year.
“Struffy is a very powerful player and takes the ball to you on the clay,” de Minaur said.
“Funnily enough, I think it’s probably one of his best surfaces, where he’s had his best results. He’s made the Masters final in Madrid and he’s just going to completely take it to me.
“So it’s going to be a battle from the very first point. He’s got a great serve (and) doesn’t matter what conditions, it’s still going to come through and he’s obviously going to look to dictate as much as possible.
“So again, it’s about me trying to not let him dictate and try to make him run, instead of vice-versa.”
Struff, who cited de Minaur’s defeat of Djokovic and top 10 breakthrough as evidence of his continued improvement, is expecting it to be a testing encounter.
“Of course, he’s a hard working athlete. He’s a great person and it’s always fun to talk to him and I respect him a lot for his attitude, for his fighting spirit, for his game,” he said.
“Alex is tough. We have tough battles against each other. Alex is an amazing fighter. He takes the ball very early. I like him as a person as well. He’s a very great guy. It looks like a tough battle.”