Alex de Minaur is into the Washington Open final, having fought through an error-strewn match with Corentin Moutet.
It was far from a sparkling performance from the 26-year-old, committing 33 unforced errors despite his 6-4, 6-3 victory.
Fortunately, when the opportunity arose to take a lead over his opponent, he was clinical enough to override these uncharacteristic mistakes. He converted five of his seven break points, but will now face a hugely in-form Alejandro Davidovich Fokina for the title.
De Minaur has enjoyed a mixed year thus far, but is crucially still without a title in 2025.
However, he will have to change plenty from that semi-final performance if he is to get over the line.
Alex de Minaur reveals the crucial change he made a few years ago
Speaking after yesterday’s Washington Open match, which saw him reach a 19th ATP Tour-level final, change was actually one topic of conversation, as attention inexplicably turned to his racket.
After all, from the outside looking in, the Australian had opted for a new model.
These kinds of changes are often well-documented and can have a huge impact on a player. And yet, this one went under the radar.
However, De Minaur shed some light on the situation, whilst also revealing the change he made a few years back, which completely altered his career: “Yeah, what I’m supposed to say is my racket is more powerful and it’s given me the edge, right (smiling)?
“But look, I have actually always enjoyed a little bit of a change, even if it’s a different paint job. I have changed now from the Blade to the Ultra paint job, and it’s exciting. It’s something different.
“So far, it’s working pretty well, right? So I’m going to get the results this week and say thank you to Wilson for that one.
“But as for me, I don’t like changing much when it comes to racquets. The thought process I have is the racquet that I have has helped me so much in my career and has taken me to a certain point in my career. It would be almost pretty stupid for me to change that, right, and to look for something more.
“But even though saying that, three or four years ago, I decided to add an extra string in my string pattern, and I changed to half gut, right? And that was a big change for me in my career.
“It took a little bit of adjusting to, but I do think it was a key improvement that helped me, you know, break into the top 10 and take the next step.”
This came after De Minaur gave his thoughts on electronic line calling in tennis, and if he’s in favour of its widespread integration within the sport.
Could Alex de Minaur be a threat at the US Open?
For all his talent and hard work, with a career-high ranking of sixth in the world, many would expect De Minaur to be a regular threat for Grand Slam titles.
And yet, he has never actually surpassed the quarter-final stage at any of the four majors.
Last year even saw him reach that round in three of the four events, but he was beaten on every occasion.
This did mark progress from 2023, but 2025 has almost seen him regress, suffering a second-round exit in Paris and a fourth-round defeat at Wimbledon.
With all the talent he boasts, De Minaur should be going further, and the US Open later this summer offers the final opportunity for him to do so this year.
On paper, his hard-working philosophy and clean ball-striking should translate well to the New York conditions.
It really feels like deep progression will rely on his fitness and his mental fortitude, if he is to bypass that dreaded quarter-final hoodoo.
