De Minaur Startling to Rekindle that 2023 Fire… National Bank Open

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Alex de Minaur may have reached the final of the National Bank Open presented by Rogers in 2023. But fresh off winning his third ATP 500 title in Washington D.C. last week, the World No. 8 admitted that he did not entirely feel at home on the fast hard courts in Toronto — at least not at first.

“I had a couple hits on the court, and I was like, ‘Geez, I'm not feeling the ball here.’ I was trying to remember how I played so well a couple of years back, whether the balls were different, the conditions were different, what exactly it was,” de Minaur, who lost to future World No. 1 Jannik Sinner in the championship two years ago, told the media on Sunday. “But I just told myself that this place brings good memories, and if I just keep on showing up and keep on giving myself a chance, hopefully, the good tennis will come.

“That's what I've been focusing on. It's not about how well you play in your first round; it's about every day getting a little bit better and showing some better tennis,” he continued. “That's what I feel like I've done over the course of my career — as I'm going deeper in a tournament, I become more dangerous.”

Compared to the rest of the field, de Minaur has played relatively less tennis this week. He got a bye into the second round, opened his National Bank Open campaign with an easy win over Argentina’s Francisco Comesana, and then received a walkover from compatriot Christopher O’Connell into the second week of the tournament. He and partner Matt Ebden also lost in the opening round of doubles.

But de Minaur knew he would have his work cut out for him against No. 7 seed Frances Tiafoe, who had given him everything he could handle in their first four meetings at the pro level.

For the first set and a half, de Minaur was the much sharper player, effectively toeing the line between being aggressive and staying steady behind the baseline to draw errors out of Tiafoe. The Australian was particularly impressive in his return games, returning almost all of Tiafoe’s big first serves with deep returns. But from a set and a break down, Tiafoe began to make better use of his forehands to gain a foothold in the fourth-round match.

Suddenly, the American came alive, breaking decisively at the tail-end of the second set.
Tiafoe and de Minaur exchanged holds for much of the final set, but it was the latter who was able to seize his opportunities when it mattered most. After saving two break points at 3-all, de Minaur earned the critical break in the ninth game. One of the turning points in the match came at 4-all, deuce, when de Minaur played some incredible defence, covering nearly every corner of the court, before Tiafoe netted a backhand half-volley. With the finish line in sight, the No. 9 seed then served out the match to defeat Tiafoe, 6-2, 4-6, 6-4, in two hours and 24 minutes.

“It's part of my DNA never to let a point go, no matter what position in the rally I'm in,” de Minaur said of that crucial point with a smile. “Today was a crucial example of what it can mean if you make that extra point, right? It was a huge moment, it gave me a break point, and even though I wasn't able to convert it, it really did send a message that I wanted that game. I don't have the biggest weapons out here, but one thing I can rely on is my legs.”

De Minaur has developed a reputation for being one of the fastest players on the tour, but he has taken a slightly different approach to his movement this season. “Of course, there's still plenty of hours that have been put on in the gym, off the court, to make sure that my footwork and speed is what it is. I like to think that it helps in defending and retrieving, but also it helps me in taking time away from my opponents,” he explained. “I'm using it to my advantage to get to the net very quickly and kind of anticipate the next shot. So it's not only for defensive use; I'm also trying to use it in an aggressive nature as well.”

In addition to returning to the Top 8 earlier this week, de Minaur is now on track to record 50 wins in a season for the first time in his career. The Australian got off to a great start in 2025, reaching the quarter-finals of his home Grand Slam, the final in Rotterdam, and the semifinal in Monte Carlo, and the quarterfinal in Barcelona. But after losing early at Roland Garros, he admitted to feeling burnt out. A few months later, de Minaur is back to playing at a high level — something that he credits to a midseason break and a shift in his mentality.

“I took some time off. I didn't play some tournaments. I knew I had to shift my mindset a little bit, because what I was feeling, what I was dealing with every single day, was not sustainable, and was the reason for my burnout,” he said. “So I decided not to try and defend the title in 's-Hertogenbosch, even though I knew it would affect my seeding at Wimbledon. And that for me was the first step: forgetting about my ranking and just worrying about myself a little bit more.

“I managed to have a great balance. I've had a lot of talks off the court to make sure I am in the right mindset. Now I'm prioritizing myself, and I know that I'm a good enough player, I know I'm a Top-10 player, even if I wasn't [at] that ranking a couple weeks ago. If I show up, and I'm mentally ready and physically ready, I know I can provide that tennis. The last couple weeks have been an example of that, so [I’m] very proud.”

Now on a seven-match winning streak, de Minaur is still in contention to win the first ATP Masters 1000 title of his career. He also hopes that a deep run in Toronto or Cincinnati will help his case for a wild card for him and his fiancée, former World No. 23 Katie Boulter, into the revamped mixed doubles competition at the U.S. Open.

“I think we're doing our best to put a really good case forward to hopefully get that wild card,” he said. “One of the most enjoyable moments I've had on a tennis court was playing Wimbledon mixed doubles with her. As I said, it was pretty damn cool, so I would love to go back and play again. And to play such an exciting event with the world's best tennis players would be pretty cool. So hopefully they give us a chance to do that, and I'm keeping my fingers crossed.”

The ATP's best return to Toronto this summer for the National Bank Open presented by Rogers July 26 to Aug. 7, 2025 at Sobeys Stadium. 2025 Tickets are on sale. Get your tickets today!

Feature Photo : Barry McCluskey