De Minaur Triumphs at Rotterdam Open
Alex de Minaur delivered an outstanding performance to secure one of the most significant titles of his career by winning the Rotterdam Open. The Australian defeated Felix Auger-Aliassime 6-3, 6-2, capturing his first indoor title.
On Sunday (Monday AEDT), De Minaur showcased some of his best tennis to overcome the Canadian world No 6, who had recently won the Montpellier Open and had maintained an impressive streak of 78 consecutive service holds prior to this match.
De Minaur broke Auger-Aliassime's serve in the first set, ending the Canadian's service streak, and maintained his momentum to claim victory. This win marked a significant achievement for the Sydney native, who had previously lost two finals at this favored hard-court tournament to Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz.
“I mean, third time lucky,” beamed the 26-year-old. “I’m so super happy. It ended up being a great week here, a place where I always feel really, really good. I was just a step short the previous years, so it feels great to finally be able to lift the title.”
Context of the Tournament and Opponent
Although the sport’s top two players were absent from the Netherlands this week, Auger-Aliassime was in exceptional form, having delivered a near-perfect performance against Alexander Bublik in the semifinals.
De Minaur, who became the first player to reach three consecutive finals at the Ahoy Arena tournament, elevated his game after some inconsistent performances earlier in the week. He completed the final in just 77 minutes, becoming only the second Australian to win the prestigious event in its 54-year history, following Lleyton Hewitt’s 2004 victory.
De Minaur applied relentless pressure from the outset, preventing indoor specialist Auger-Aliassime from settling. He aggressively attacked and controlled baseline rallies, eventually breaking the Canadian’s serve in the sixth game of the first set after two exceptional passing shots.
Match Performance and Statistics
In contrast to his semifinal match against Ugo Humbert, where he managed only three winners, De Minaur produced 10 winners in the final. Auger-Aliassime, despite his powerful game, managed just six winners.
The Canadian was unable to replicate the dazzling form he had shown throughout the week, largely due to De Minaur’s persistent pressure. Near the end of the match, Auger-Aliassime appeared to be affected by fatigue from his eight-match winning streak and required treatment for a suspected hip issue.
Despite this, De Minaur’s performance was exceptional, outplaying a rival with whom he has had a 10-match rivalry since their youth. Auger-Aliassime had previously led their head-to-head 6-3 but acknowledged De Minaur’s superiority in this match.
“Alex was just a bit too good.”
De Minaur reflected on his performance:
“For sure, it was my best tennis of the week, and that’s what it’s all about, just doing my best to rise up to the occasion.”
He achieved three breaks of serve and did not concede a single break point on his own serve during the match.
Career Milestone
This victory marked De Minaur’s fifth ATP 500 title. Since the beginning of 2023, he has won more matches at this tournament level—just below Masters and Grand Slam events—than any other player, with a total of 53 wins.
