Alex de Minaur’s remarkable run at the 2025 ATP Finals in Turin came to an end in the semi-finals, halted by the near unstoppable force of the defending champion, Jannik Sinner. In a repeat of one of the previous year’s matchups, the Australian world No. 7 was defeated 7-5, 6-2 by the Italian in front of a fervent home crowd, extending his winless record against Sinner to 0-13 in their head-to-head rivalry.

Despite a resilient start where he withstood immense pressure for over an hour, saving seven break points to reach 5-5 in the opening set, de Minaur was ultimately overpowered by Sinner’s relentless ball-striking and supreme service game, which saw the Italian not drop serve throughout the entire tournament. In the aftermath of the defeat, de Minaur offered a candid and analytical assessment of the challenge Sinner presents, revealing a clear game plan that is far easier to conceptualize than to execute.

“I’ve faced Sinner so many times and, even if many people don’t believe it, I know how to beat him” de Minaur stated. He elaborated, adding, “The problem is that it’s not that simple. You have to hit the ball very hard, very flat, very deep, and very close to the lines. I try to do it, but it’s not the easiest thing to do.”

He pinpointed his serve as a critical differentiator, noting, “To have a chance, I feel like I need to serve well throughout the entire match. In the second set, my serve dropped a bit; it could have done more. If I don’t serve very well, I’m in trouble.”

The numbers say it all: in the first set, de Minaur had a first serve percentage of 54% that dropped to 48% in the second set. Even more telling is the percentage of first serve points won, which was at 72% in the first set but dipped to 43% in the second, tipping the balance of the match firmly in Sinner’s favor.

“I keep thinking I still have a lot to give,” added de Minaur. “I haven’t reached my peak yet, but I have to be careful about how much I push beyond my limits and how much pressure I put on myself, because that’s what takes me into those dark places. I need to find a healthy balance.”

This semi-final exit, however, does not overshadow what has been a standout season for de Minaur, his first to surpass 50 tour-level wins, finishing with a 56-24 record. His journey in Turin itself was a testament to his resilience, as he battled back from a “very, very dark spot” after a devastating loss to Lorenzo Musetti (7-5, 3-6, 7-5) to secure his first-ever ATP Finals victory against Taylor Fritz (7-6(3), 6-3) and become the first Australian in 21 years to reach the semi-finals at the season-ending championship.

However, this isn’t the first time de Minaur has been pretty candid during his on-court interviews.

Alex de Minaur, following his final group-stage win

Alex de Minaur battled it out against Taylor Fritz, and his win was a big deal. It marked his first-ever victory at this prestigious year-end event and kept his hopes for a semi-final spot alive, even if just a little. The Australian really took charge in a strong, attacking performance, while Fritz seemed a bit on edge, having a tough time during the one-hour, 35-minute match and racking up 33 unforced errors.

Even with this important win, de Minaur’s chances in the tournament depended on something he couldn’t control. He won in straight sets against Fritz, which gave him a 1-2 record in the Jimmy Connors Group.

To make it to the semi-finals, he needed World No. 1 Carlos Alcaraz to beat Italian Lorenzo Musetti in the last round-robin match of the group that evening. But the Aussie didn’t seem too worried about it.

In the on-court interview, de Minaur stated, “Is that actually true or not? I don’t know, I don’t trust you right now. I’m gonna have to see what happens. But hey, ultimately, I kind of made my peace, right? And I was able to come today onto the call with that sort of mindset and kind of enough worrying about circumstances or the what-ifs, and I just focused on what I needed to do. And it’s going to be a little bit more of that tonight. Whatever happens, happens. I put my best foot forward, and I’m pleased with that.”

Sure, his hopes for the semifinals were in someone else’s hands, but the Aussie didn’t seem too concerned about it. He was already having a tough time in Turin, so after this win, he took a moment to clear his head and just breathe out instead of worrying about what might come next. In the end, Alcaraz did take down Musetti, and de Minaur made it to the semifinals, only to fall to Sinner.