Need for speed: de Minaur and Berrettini rev up ahead of Dubai DutyFree Tennis Championships
Alex de Minaur and Matteo Berrettini at Dubai Autodrome, Monday, February 24, 2025.
Dubai, UAE – February 24, 2025: Self-confessed car fanatic Alex de Minaur swapped his vintage 1973 Mini 850 Deluxe for a BM5 M5 on Sunday evening at the Dubai Autodrome as the World No8 gears up for his third appearance at this week’s Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships.
De Minaur, who heads into the tournament with a 13-3 record so far this year, was accompanied to Dubai’s premier motorsport and entertainment venue by Italian Matteo Berrettini as the pair traded their racquets for racing suits.
For De Minaur, it was his first time experiencing a racetrack – either as a driver or passenger – and the Australian No1, whose passion for cars covers both classic and modern novelties, loved every minute of it. The 26-year-old, who faces former US Open winner Marin Clinic in his opening game on Tuesday, reached a top speed of 225kph as he took full advantage of the twin-turbo V8 at his disposal.
“It was a great activity to do,” de Minaur said. “I had an amazing instructor [who helped me] and pushed the car to its limits. It was definitely a lot of fun.”
Berrettini, who drove shotgun alongside de Minaur before the roles reversed, echoed his colleague’s sentiments as he relished the opportunity to try something new outside of tennis.
“It’s a great opportunity, especially as we rarely get the chance to try something new,” said the World No30. “I had so much fun – I think Alex did too, even though he was a little scared when I was driving! But that’s part of the trick. We love speed; we love this kind of sport.”
Having experienced each other’s driving skills first-hand, the two players laughed when asked if they would ever race head-to-head: “I think the only way this could probably be done is if he gets in the car, puts up a time, and then I get in a car and put up a time. Definitely not both of us on the track together – that would be way too dangerous!” De Minaur said, laughing.
Berrettini, who will be looking to extend his winning run to four matches against Frenchman Gaël Monfils in their round of 32 clash in Dubai on Tuesday, added: “Exactly. We’d probably need some help!”
As the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships officially kicked off on Monday, both players will now shift gears – and attention – back to the court, hoping to bring the same level of adrenaline and excitement to their matches as they did on the track.
