From Courts To Circuits: De Minaur And Berrettini Race At Dubai Autodrome Ahead Of DDF Tennis Tournament

Alex de Minaur, renowned for his passion for cars, recently indulged in a thrilling experience at the Dubai Autodrome, transitioning from his vintage 1973 Mini 850 Deluxe to the powerful BM5 M5.

The Australian No1's is prepping for his third stint at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships, where he enters with an impressive 13-3 record for the year. Alongside Italian Matteo Berrettini, De Minaur embraced the opportunity to swap tennis racquets for racing suits at Dubai's leading motorsport and entertainment arena.

The 26-year-old's enthusiasm for both classic and contemporary cars was evident as he reached speeds of up to 225kph, fully leveraging the twin-turbo V8 engine at his disposal. "I had an amazing instructor [who helped me] and pushed the car to its limits. It was definitely a lot of fun," De Minaur shared, reflecting on the unforgettable experience.

Berrettini, sharing the experience with De Minaur, also reveled in the novel adventure, highlighting the rarity of such experiences outside their tennis careers. "It's a great opportunity, especially as we rarely get the chance to try something new," Berrettini said. The camaraderie between the two was palpable, with Berrettini noting, "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."

The friendly banter continued as they contemplated the idea of a direct race against each other. De Minaur humorously suggested, "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!" Berrettini, in agreement, added that they'd likely need assistance for such an endeavor.

With the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships underway, both De Minaur and Berrettini are set to refocus their energies on the tennis court. De Minaur, facing off against former US Open champion Marin Clinic in his opening match, and Berrettini, looking to extend his winning streak to four against Gaël Monfils, aim to transfer the adrenaline and excitement from their racetrack adventure to their performances on the court.