Alex de Minaur proves that when he falls, he rises much stronger. Coming from a dismal Australian Open in which he bowed out, he is back in style into business as he reached successive finals, a remarkable story of grit, hard work, and resolve.
Now, the opportunity comes to lift his 10th ATP singles title and reach a career-best ranking. Standing in the way of accomplishing all that is a formidable opponent in Carlos Alcaraz. A win in the Rotterdam Open could just take his game to the next level.
A Setback at the Australian Open
Alex de Minaur entered the Australian Open with a whole lot of confidence, certainly looking to make a deep run in his home tournament. It never really worked that way.
In the quarters, he was up against Jannik Sinner and never found his rhythm. Sinner, later the title winner, dominated him 6-3, 6-2, 6-1.
That was the tough loss, wherein a lot was expected by the crowd and himself, but instead of letting it get him down, he used it to motivate him. He knew he would have to come back harder.
Alex de Minaur Bouncing Back at the Rotterdam Open
Soon after the Australian Open, he changed gears as de Minaur took part in the Rotterdam Open, one of the most important indoor events on the ATP Tour. Coming fresh into the event, now he was ready to prove himself.
Since that loss in Melbourne, de Minaur has been in the form of his life. He did not drop a set all week here in Rotterdam, nor did he drop it in his Davis Cup encounter last weekend. A week that saw him lose only one service game.
Full of confidence, it was on full view in the last four, facing Italian qualifier Mattia Bellucci.
Bellucci, having the tournament of his life with knockouts of Daniil Medvedev and Stefanos Tsitsipas, had simply no answers for de Minaur as the Australian raced to a 6-1, 6-2 win in just over an hour. As a result, de Minaur reached the finals for the second successive year.
“I give my all every time I go out on court,” de Minaur said after his win. “Try to win a point every time, and seems like I had a couple of good weeks back to back. So hopefully, this year, I can go one step further than what I did last year.”
Demanding Opponent: Carlos Alcaraz
It was far from over, as de Minaur’s road to the final was just part of his challenge; he is now facing the World No.3 and former Grand Slam champion Carlos Alcaraz in the final. Alcaraz fought his way through the semifinal against Hubert Hurkacz 6-4, 6-7 (5/7), 6-3.
His last, against de Minaur himself in the title match at 2023 Queen’s Club Alcaraz won 6-4 6-4 on grass – now de Minaur meets him again at an indoor hard court.
However, the Rotterdam Open win will be a special one for de Minaur, as it will not only give him his 10th ATP singles title but also push him toward World No. 6, the highest ever. More importantly, it would prove that he belongs with the best in the world.
He leads the tour in wins this year with 11. His Australian Open quarter-final meant it was four straight Slam events that he reached the last eight or better. And now De Minaur could become the first Australian winner of the Rotterdam title since his compatriot and mentor Lleyton Hewitt in 2004.
“All the hard work that goes in behind the scenes, and these are the rewards,” de Minaur said. “You’re not guaranteed results by putting in hard work, but you sure as hell give yourself the best chance of succeeding.”
The Road Ahead
Whatever the result is, there is one thing for sure: Alex de Minaur is on the rise. In the Rotterdam Open, he showed that he was ready, both in skill and mind, to face off with the best; as a matter of fact, he bounced back amazingly well after the tough defeat at the Australian Open.
He will continue working and looking at big titles and breaking into the world’s top five, a dream reachable. Back-to-back finals, just proving he is a force to be dealt with.
De Minaur isn’t satisfied yet. According to him, he has something more to offer.
“I don’t think that’s my ceiling,” he said. “I think I’ve got a little bit more to go, and hopefully, I can keep on pushing this year and finish strong.”
Fans are hyped for what extent he could go to. If his recent performances were anything to base off of, bright prospects lay in store for the “Demon.” The Australian Open setback was just a mere footnote in his story.
Wait and watch as de Minaur goes out there now, probably to try once again for lifting Rotterdam.
