De Minaur rediscovers fire after Turin's early setback
Shaken by a crushing defeat, Alex de Minaur channels inner resolve to outlast Taylor Fritz, securing his breakthrough win at the Nitto ATP Finals and hinting at a surge toward the elite.
In the pressurized echo of Turin's Pala Alpitour, where the season's brightest lights converge, Alex de Minaur stepped onto the court carrying the weight of unmet expectations. The Australian, ranked No. 7 in the PIF ATP Rankings, had arrived at the Nitto ATP Finals seeking the momentum that had flickered throughout his year, only to face an immediate emotional blow. Yet on Thursday, he transformed that turmoil into triumph, defeating Taylor Fritz 7-6(3), 6-3 in a match that banished the ghosts of his 0-3 record in 2024 and 1-2 in 2025 at this event.
Shaking off the shadows of doubt
The sting from his third-set loss to Lorenzo Musetti on Tuesday lingered like the cool Italian air, a defeat De Minaur called one of his career's toughest emotional hurdles. That collapse amplified a season of near-misses, from his ATP 500 title in Washington to tighter battles against the top tier, leaving him questioning his edge in high-stakes moments. As the crowd settled into the arena's hum, he drew on a reset mindset, committing to play without the paralysis of what-ifs that had gripped him days earlier.
This shift came through the steadying influence of his support circle, including fiancée Katie Boulter, whose presence helped pull him from a low where he admitted hating the sport. Their encouragement fostered a peace that allowed him to focus on aggressive decisions from the baseline, stepping forward to finish points rather than merely retrieving. The Pala Alpitour's indoor hardcourt, with its swift tempo, rewarded this resolve, turning potential hesitation into purposeful strokes.
“For the first time in a long time, I forgot about the ‘what ifs’, the results, what happens if I miss this shot, what happens if I lose this match,” De Minaur said. “I just committed to the way I wanted to play from the first point to the last. A couple days ago I didn't. That's what hurt so much.
“Today I knew that no matter what, I wanted to be proud of my decision making, my aggressive mindset, and I wanted to go out there and try to win the match.”
Baseline command meets net daring
Against Fritz's powerful serve, De Minaur dictated with crosscourt exchanges that stretched the American wide, blending inside-out forehands to keep him pinned deep in the first set. The tiebreak at 7-6(3) highlighted his tactical poise, as deep returns disrupted rhythm and slice backhands altered pace, forcing errors on the unforgiving surface. This wasn't defensive scrambling; it was proactive control, echoing the one–two patterns that fueled his summer breakthroughs but now sharpened for Turin's speed.
In the second set, as the score reached 5-2, a missed match point on return and a slip to 0/30 tested his newfound conviction, yet he responded with laughter shared across the net with his team, diffusing the tension. An ace leveled the game, followed by a serve-and-volley at 15/30 that showcased his willingness to press forward, turning Fritz's flat groundstrokes into hurried replies. The crowd's murmurs built into applause, sensing the shift as De Minaur's coverage neutralized net approaches, his underspin keeping balls low to provoke overhitting.
Boulter and his team's role proved crucial in this mental fortification, as he credited them with restoring balance after the Musetti heartbreak. This backing translated to on-court boldness, with five net rushes in the second set alone, up from the opener, allowing him to claim the 6-3 finish. The victory restored belief, positioning him at 1-1 in the group and eyeing semis if Carlos Alcaraz tops Musetti later that evening.
“To be honest, I'm incredibly lucky with the support system that I have, the people I've got around me, every single one in my team, even Katie,” De Minaur said. “They were able to — or they tried to — talk some sense into me. A couple of days ago was one of the toughest days I've had in my career... I could tell you that I hated the sport. Here we are two days later and I'm feeling great about myself. It's incredible.
“But more than anything, regardless of the result today, I had made peace with myself. That was a big, big moment. I knew the way I wanted to play. I was going to commit to it from the first point to the last. I was okay with the result not going my way. I had made peace with that. I just wanted to play my way.”
“After that match point, I just started laughing with my team because I was like ‘There's something up there that's against me… I've got the evil eye or something’,” De Minaur joked. “I'm just not allowed to win matches anymore. Then we go to 0/30.
“Actually, it took some of my best tennis today. I hit an incredible ace, then at 15/30 I served and volleyed. I just had the ultimate aggressive mindset. Even from the toughest moments, which I could have easily gone back into default and tried to play solid and not to lose, I played to win. That's why I was able to win today. So I'm very proud.”
Momentum builds against the elite
De Minaur's recent clashes reveal a player closing in on the summit, having pushed the world No. 1 in a first-set tiebreak here—up 5-3 and holding two set points at 5-4—before extending Jannik Sinner to three sets in Beijing's ATP 500 semifinals. These encounters mark a departure from mere competition to creating real threats, with his return aggression yielding chances that once eluded him. In Vienna, Sinner prevailed, but the narrowing margins signal tactical growth suited to hardcourt demands, where his speed converts defensive positions into down-the-line winners.
The indoor conditions in Turin, mirroring the Australian Open's blueprint, amplify his potential, as 70 percent win rates this fall on similar surfaces underscore his adaptability. He senses rivals feeling the pressure, their prolonged dominance now facing a knocking at the door from him and peers ready to capitalize. This win, amid the arena's fading lights, propels him forward, a foundation for deeper runs and bolder challenges in the year ahead.
“I feel like I've gained a lot of momentum recently in these types of matches,” De Minaur said when asked of his and other top players' ability to challenge the likes of Alcaraz and Sinner. “I've gone from a stage where you go out there, you compete, but you're not really getting a lot of chances. I do feel like I'm getting my chances. Even here against Carlos in the first set [tie-break], 5/3 up, 5/4, two serves, I'm putting myself in pretty good positions.
“Jannik, I played a good match against him in Beijing. In Vienna, he got the better of me, as well. But I do feel like I'm heading in the right direction. I'm gaining momentum. I do think that they feel it, as well. I do think we're going to be knocking on the door, right? They've played at an incredibly high level for an extended period of time. We are just going to keep on getting better and wait for our opportunity.”
