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De Minaur saves three championship points to win 10th title
Christian Montegan • July 28th, 2025 4:41 pm
In a lionhearted performance, Alex de Minaur fended off three championship points to clinch his 10th ATP title at the Washington Open.
De Minaur was up against his good friend in Spain's Alejandro Davidovich Fokina, who was bidding to win his maiden ATP crown at age 26.
It looked as if that drought was about to end when Davidovich Fokina capitalised on a loose service game from his Aussie opponent to draw first blood with a one-set advantage.
However, the tide quickly turned in de Minaur's favour as he secured the second set, having dropped just one game, until it was Davidovich Fokina's turn to reply with a 5-2 lead in the decider.
Somehow, someway, the Sydneysider saved three championship points trailing 3-5 to claw his way back into the contest and eventually seal the deal in a tiebreak, winning the ATP 500-tier event 5-7, 6-1, 7-6(3).
"It's something about this court. I did it in 2018 against Rublev, and honestly, I just kind of knew I could do it," said de Minaur, who saved four match points against Andrey Rublev seven years ago.
"I just backed myself, and I told myself to commit no matter what and if I lost this match, it was going to be on my terms. Today it went my way. I've had a couple of brutal ones not go my way, so I'm glad this one went my way."
He later added: "I'm very happy with where I am at the moment, how I'm dealing with things on and off the court. I had the mindset that even if today didn't go my way, it was a very positive week, so I was proud of my efforts no matter what, but jeez it feels good to hold my 10th title."
There was a touching moment after the match concluded when de Minaur sat next to a tearful Davidovich Fokina to console him, in what was an act of brilliant sportsmanship.
In February at the Delray Beach Open final, the world No.26 also let slip a 5-2 lead in the third set with match points against Miomir Kecmanović.
"You're way to good to not have one of these [trophies]. It's coming for sure," the new Washington D.C. winner told Davidovich Fokina during the trophy ceremony. "You deserved it today. I just got lucky. You are a hell of a competitor, a hell of a player. No one on the Tour wants to play you. This is not the end, this is only going up for you."
The victory moves de Minaur to No.8 in the live ATP rankings and has pocketed A$640,000 for his efforts in the American capital.
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