De Minaur Ends Rotterdam Heartache with Dominant Final
Under the Ahoy arena’s glare, Alex de Minaur turned two years of finals frustration into a sharp 6-3, 6-2 dissection of Felix Auger-Aliassime, claiming his first indoor ATP 500 title on February 15, 2026.
Alex de Minaur gripped his racket tighter than usual as he walked onto the court, the weight of two lost finals pressing against the Rotterdam air. On February 15, 2026, at the ABN AMRO Open, the top-seeded Australian finally broke through, dismantling Felix Auger-Aliassime 6-3, 6-2 in a display of crisp control that silenced his inner doubts. His returns bit low on the indoor hardcourt, forcing the Canadian into uncomfortable stretches, while De Minaur’s footwork turned defense into quick counters, all without facing a single break point.
“That’s what it’s all about: just doing my best to rise to the occasion,” De Minaur said of his final performance, in which he did not face a break point,according to ATP Stats. “As the tournament goes on, you try and find ways out of solutions and try to give yourself the best chance to play better the following day, and I did exactly that. I’m super pleased with the performance today.
“Third time lucky... I’m super stoked, super happy. It ended up being a great week here in Rotterdam. It’s a place where I always feel really good. I was just a step short in the previous years, so it feels great to finally be able to lift the title.“
The crowd’s murmurs built from the opening exchanges, sensing the Australian’s resolve amid a season shadowed by Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner‘s dominance, with Alexander Zverev ever-present in the mix. De Minaur had arrived carrying tactical refinements honed through a grueling winter, his speed now paired with heavier topspin to exploit the low-bouncing surface. Auger-Aliassime, riding an eight-match winning streak from his Montpellier title, aimed to extend his indoor prowess to a ninth crown, but the Canadian’s explosive serve met a wall of anticipation.
Cracking the opening set fortress
The first set simmered in a standoff of precise serves until the sixth game, when De Minaur unleashed two inside-out forehands that sliced through the defense like a well-timed volley. This break marked the first breach of Auger-Aliassime‘s delivery since his second-round win over Stan Wawrinka in Montpellier, turning the Canadian’s rhythm into hurried errors. De Minaur pocketed the set with controlled aggression, his crosscourt backhands keeping points short and the pressure mounting under the arena’s steady hum.
Auger-Aliassime’s usual indoor edge—big serves and quick finishes—faded as De Minaur stepped inside the baseline on returns, neutralizing the power with flat slices that skidded low. The Australian’s one–two pattern of serve followed by a deep forehand forced weak replies, building momentum that echoed his consistent ATP 500 showings since 2023. As the set ended, the Rotterdam faithful leaned forward, the air thick with the promise of a shift.
Going home with some new hardware @abnamroopen | #abnamroopen | @alexdeminaur pic.twitter.com/9wyZxSPPuD
— ATP Tour (@atptour) February 15, 2026
Seizing the second set surge
De Minaur carried his edge into the second, breaking again in the fifth game with a down-the-line pass that caught Auger-Aliassime leaning wrong. Midway through, the Canadian stepped off for medical treatment, returning with less snap in his groundstrokes, his movement a notch below the explosiveness that fueled his streak. De Minaur sensed the opening and pounced, mixing heavy topspin lobs with inside-in winners to close the 78-minute match, flipping their head-to-head to 3-2 in his favor.
The tactical adjustments shone here: De Minaur’s varied serves—slice to the body drawing short balls he could attack—exploited the indoor conditions where consistency trumps raw power. Auger-Aliassime fought back with crosscourt blasts, but the Australian’s coverage turned potential winners into prolonged rallies that drained the fight. “Congrats to Alex and your team,” Auger-Aliassime said during the trophy presentation. “We’ve played a lot of matches throughout the years… I tried my best today, but you were just a little bit too good. [It’s your] third time in the final here, so congrats on the win.”
Rising rankings, redefined path
This victory lifted De Minaur two spots to No. 6 in the PIF ATP Live Rankings, a boost that sharpens his edge in a top tier packed with hardcourt specialists. The maiden indoor title at the ATP 500 event eases the psychological load from past Rotterdam near-misses, infusing his game with the confidence to challenge roof dominators ahead. As he hoisted the trophy amid roaring approval, the Australian’s evolution—from speed demon to strategic finisher—hints at deeper runs in upcoming swings, where every break could redefine his season’s arc.
