Alex de Minaur’s 2025 season is over, having lost to Jannik Sinner in the ATP Finals’ semi-finals.
It marked a positive end to the year for the Australian, who has been open about his struggles during the busier periods of his calendar.
He will welcome this upcoming break more than most, and hopefully he can use it to refresh himself and return rejuvenated in time for his home Grand Slam in Melbourne.
Here, he will once again set out to enjoy a major run that goes further than the quarter-finals. To do that, overcoming one of Carlos Alcaraz or Jannik Sinner feels almost inevitable.
So, with that near-impossible task laid bare, Alex de Minaur has seemingly already set out towards analysing the improvements needed.
Alex de Minaur analyses his game after losing to Jannik Sinner
Speaking to the press after yesterday’s loss to Sinner, he pointed out where he differs from the Italian and just how hard he’ll have to work to match that level.
De Minaur began by admitting: “Yeah, I mean, again, Jannik is a little bit taller than me, has a little bit more length, which helps him on serve. Obviously, he’s been serving at a very high level not only today but the whole match.
Will Alex de Minaur ever crack the ATP top five?
“As for me, my serve is something that’s been a work in progress. Over the years, it definitely has gotten a lot better. It’s finding that balance because he’s 2 at the moment, but he’s played pretty well for a couple years. He’s been incredibly solid, right?
“It means that I can’t just make first serves against Jannik, right? I can’t put my percentage up, serve at 75%, 80%, but just rolling it in, right? I need to hit my spots and go after my serves.”
Then, focusing on their match last night, he highlighted the serve as an area needing change: “Yeah, I served a lot better in the first set than I did in the second. That’s probably the difference in the two sets. Obviously I had Love-40 early in the set, and he gave me a look at a second serve. He hit two good first serves, but I had a look at a second serve. Potentially that was my chance to take.
“We’re talking about one of the best players in the world. His level is insanely high. You’re going to have to bring a very high level to beat him.
“For me, as I said, the only way forward is to keep trying to improve those things. The serve is one of the biggest things ’cause returning I’m normally going to give myself chances. I back myself on returns. I just need to do a little bit better job on my serve.”
De Minaur explained why he finds Sinner harder to play than Alcaraz, and his 13-0 losing head-to-head record only reinforces that notion.
Alex de Minaur played some of the best tennis of his career at the 2025 ATP Finals
Whilst another loss to Sinner will sting, De Minaur should take so much heart from this tournament.
After all, he confessed to having endured one of his ‘darkest days’ within the sport, and just days later had earned qualification into the semi-final of the ATP Finals.
To do so, he had to beat Taylor Fritz, who was coming off the back of a solid win over Lorenzo Musetti and a battling performance against Alcaraz.
It marked just his second win in 12 matches against a top-ten opponent in 2025.
Then, in that first set against Sinner, he was playing with the freedom and bravery that saw him pulverise his shots. He genuinely troubled one of the best movers in the game with his pinpoint accuracy and power, and if not for a lapse of concentration, could have even stolen the set too.
He should head into 2026 brimming with confidence, given how fiercely and competitively he has battled with the world’s best over the last week.
Receive exclusive tennis news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
