De Minaur’s Iron Will Powers Rotterdam Surge
Alex de Minaur stared down 10 break points to edge Ugo Humbert and book his third straight final at the ABN AMRO Open, a gritty semifinal win that keeps his title dreams alive on these indoor courts.
On the brisk indoor hard courts of the ABN AMRO Open in Rotterdam, Alex de Minaur turned a semifinal gauntlet into a statement of resilience. The Australian outlasted Ugo Humbert 6-4, 6-3 in one hour and 31 minutes, saving all 10 break points he faced—a stat tracked by Infosys ATP Stats. This victory catapults him into his third consecutive final at the ATP 500 event, making him the first player in its history to achieve the feat after two runner-up finishes.
De Minaur’s game blended his signature speed with sharper shot selection, absorbing Humbert’s aggressive first strikes and redirecting them into errors. The Frenchman’s flat groundstrokes aimed to shorten points, but the No. 8 seed in the PIF ATP Rankings stretched rallies just enough to disrupt that plan, firing inside-out forehands that hugged the lines.
“I’m super proud of the efforts,” said De Minaur. “Today, again, there were a lot of tough moments, a lot of break points, a lot of tricky situations... But I managed to dig myself out of them and I’m super pumped to be in another final here and give myself another chance of hopefully getting the title.”
“it’s hard to get a lot of rhythm against him [Humbert]. He looks to get the first strike in the rally whenever he can. He’s such a clean ballstriker and there’s not too many rallies that go up so it’s really hard to get that rhythm and feel comfortable. Not every match you get the chance to be aggressive. Today was one I was certainly not able to do that, but hey, I found a way.”
Saving breaks with defensive fire
Humbert piled on pressure in the second set, carving out four break chances amid tense exchanges where the crowd’s murmurs built with each deuce. De Minaur countered by sliding wide to chase down crosscourt backhands, then unleashing heavy topspin forehands that pushed the Frenchman deep and wide. His footwork turned potential breaks into holds, holding serve at 100% while Humbert’s errors mounted under the weight of those missed opportunities.
This wasn’t raw power play; it was calculated retrieval, with De Minaur mixing low slice backhands to slow Humbert’s momentum and open angles for down-the-line passes. The indoor conditions, offering true bounce and quick pace, amplified his agility, allowing him to cover the court like few others. As the set wore on, his unforced errors stayed low, a quiet edge in a match defined by mental fortitude.
His love affair with Rotterdam continues @alexdeminaur becomes the first man to reach the @abnamroopen final in three consecutive years! #abnamroopen pic.twitter.com/FF03pdXC6X— ATP Tour (@atptour) February 14, 2026
His love affair with Rotterdam continues @alexdeminaur becomes the first man to reach the @abnamroopen final in three consecutive years! #abnamroopen pic.twitter.com/FF03pdXC6X
— ATP Tour (@atptour) February 14, 2026
Disrupting Humbert’s quick strikes
Humbert’s lefty serve often jammed De Minaur’s backhand, forcing reactive returns that tested his patience in short, sharp rallies. The Australian adapted by chipping underspin on second serves to neutralize depth, then stepping inside the baseline for aggressive forehand replies. This one–two pattern—deep serve followed by a probing return—kept the Frenchman guessing, especially when De Minaur anticipated net rushes with precise lobs.
Rarely did points extend beyond four shots, mirroring Humbert’s preference for first-strike tennis, yet De Minaur found rhythm in the chaos by varying pace with slice approaches. The semifinal echoed broader challenges in his 2026 season, where consistency against top-20 foes like Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner has sharpened his edge. Improving to 6-2 head-to-head against Humbert, he turned discomfort into dominance.
Eyes on the final showdown
Now the 26-year-old eyes Sunday’s final against either former champion Felix Auger-Aliassime or Alexander Bublik, a matchup that could demand more net play or pattern discipline. His 52 ATP 500 wins since the start of the 2023 season lead the tour, outpacing Alexander Zverev and others in this level’s grind. With Humbert heading to Doha to face Fabian Marozsan, De Minaur’s Rotterdam run feels like a season-defining pivot.
The arena’s energy surged with each saved break point, fist pumps cutting through the tension as history loomed. This breakthrough resilience, forged in close calls, positions him to finally claim the crown that has slipped away twice before. As the final approaches, his blend of speed and smarts promises a clash where every point carries the weight of unfinished business.
