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Alex de Minaur fielding a question about potentially proposing to his girlfriend and fellow tennis player Katie Boulter if he wins the 2024 Australian Open has left tennis fans shocked.
De Minaur has powered Australia to the semifinals of the United Cup, delighting the home crowd in Perth with a stunning upset over Novak Djokovic. The 24-year-old beat the World No. 1 in straight sets, winning 6-4, 6-4.
With Ajla Tomljanovic and the doubles duo of Matthew Ebden and Storm Hunter also emerging victorious, Australia clinched a 3-0 win over Serbia.
During the post-match press conference, Alex de Minaur was asked about potentially emulating his idol Lleyton Hewitt by proposing to his girlfriend and fellow tennis player, Katie Boulter, after the upcoming Australian Open.
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In 2005, shortly after losing to Marat Safin in the Australian Open, Hewitt proposed to his now-wife, Australian actress Rebecca Cartwright.
However, De Minaur expressed hesitation about following in Hewitt's footsteps, saying that it felt like he was being put "on the spot." He went on to disclose that a proposal wasn't on the cards yet and emphasized that his focus is entirely on tennis.
"Jeez. Putting me on the spot here. Yeah, it's not on the cards just yet. Not ruling it out. But yeah, for the time being, I'm going to try and focus on playing tennis, and then we'll think about the off-court activities," Alex de Minaur said.
The journalist then pressed for an answer and asked if De Minaur would consider it if he wins the Australian Open. But the 24-year-old merely responded that it wouldn't be a bad way to celebrate such an achievement.
"Jeez (smiling). Wouldn't be a bad way to celebrate it, let's just say that," he said.
The journalist pushed him to make a deal about following through if he won the Melbourne Slam, and the Australian eventually agreed to the proposition.
Tennis fans did not take kindly to the journalist's "unprofessional" question, asserting that it made Alex de Minaur visibly uncomfortable.
"Very unprofessional - puts Alex in a pretty awkward position. He’s not in a press conference to be put on the spot about his private life," a fan posted.
"Alex seemed uncomfortable. And the interviewer didn’t let up and posed a follow-up question around it," another fan chimed in.
One fan sarcastically commented on the tendency of tennis press conferences to feature a "ridiculously invasive" line of questioning.
"Is it really a tennis presser if someone doesn't ask a ridiculously invasive and completely irrelevant question?" the fan commented.
Here are a few more reactions from fans on Reddit:
Alex de Minaur's girlfriend Katie Boulter reacts to Aussie's win over Novak Djokovic at United Cup
Katie Boulter was quick to share her admiration for her boyfriend Alex de Minaur's remarkable victory over Novak Djokovic at the United Cup. She took to social media and shared that she was left speechless by the Australian's performance.
"No words," she tweeted.
Likewise, during the press conference, De Minaur said that it's difficult to articulate his delight at securing the win over the "GOAT."
"Yeah, it feels amazing. Yeah, it's hard to put into words. It's a very good feeling. Everything that could have gone well went well today. Yeah, I'm happy that I can say I got a win over the GOAT," he said.
Alex de Minaur and Team Australia take on the winner of the clash between Greece and Germany in the United Cup semifinals on Saturday, January 6.
