Alex de Minaur’s ATP Finals Hopes Fading After Heartbreaking Loss
It was another tough night for Australia’s top tennis star, Alex de Minaur, as his hopes of reaching the ATP Finals semi-finals in Turin took a serious hit. In a match that had fans on edge, de Minaur fell to Italy’s Lorenzo Musetti in a three-set thriller — 7-5, 3-6, 7-5 — after once again losing grip of the match when it mattered most.
The loss leaves the world No. 7 hanging by a thread in the tournament. To keep his semi-final chances alive, he now needs to beat American Taylor Fritz convincingly in his final group match. But for de Minaur, the bigger battle right now seems to be a mental one rather than just physical or tactical.
Speaking after the defeat, an emotional de Minaur admitted that the repeated pattern of falling short in critical moments is starting to take a toll on him. “I don’t know how many times I can deal with a loss like this one,” he confessed. “If I really want to be serious about taking the next step in my career, these matches, I can’t lose them. Mentally, it’s killing me.”
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At just 26, de Minaur has already built a reputation for his incredible speed, tenacity, and fighting spirit. But this season has been brutally unkind. Time and again, he’s found himself so close to major wins only to see them slip away. From losing a tight US Open quarter-final to Felix Auger-Aliassime, to falling in heartbreaking third-set battles against players like Alexander Bublik, Andrey Rublev, and even Musetti earlier this year — it’s been a recurring story of near-misses.
De Minaur described his mindset as “quite dark” after the latest loss, acknowledging that he needs to work through these struggles before they become too heavy to carry. “It’s something that if it doesn’t get sorted, it’s going to eat me alive. I need to get it sorted sooner rather than later,” he said, clearly frustrated but determined.
The upcoming match against Fritz now carries huge weight. Both players have faced each other ten times before, with their head-to-head standing at 5-5. Fritz, the world No. 6, lost to Carlos Alcaraz earlier in the group, which adds even more complexity to the standings.
Meanwhile, Alcaraz’s win over Fritz pushed him closer to reclaiming the world No. 1 ranking. If Jannik Sinner doesn’t go undefeated in his group, the Spaniard could finish the year at the top once again.
As for de Minaur, his journey at the ATP Finals isn’t over yet — but it’s clear he’s fighting more than just opponents on the court. It’s a battle against his own mind, against self-doubt, and against the weight of expectation. Whether he can turn things around in time remains to be seen, but one thing’s for sure: this loss will sting for a while.
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