De Minaur Talks After Tough Loss To Musetti At ATP Finals

Australian tennis star Alex de Minaur suffered a heartbreaking defeat against Italy’s Lorenzo Musetti at the ATP Finals in Turin on Tuesday. Despite leading 5-3 in the final set, De Minaur was unable to close out the match, eventually losing 7-5, 3-6, 7-5 in an intense round-robin clash.

The match was one of the most dramatic of the tournament, as Musetti staged an incredible comeback in front of his home crowd. For De Minaur, however, the loss was another painful reminder of a season filled with near misses and missed opportunities.

De Minaur began the match with determination but lost the opening set 7-5 after Musetti held firm during key points. The Australian bounced back impressively in the second set, using his trademark speed and consistency to force errors from Musetti and level the match at one set all.

In the deciding set, De Minaur looked on course to win when he took a 5-3 lead. But Musetti, backed by the roaring Italian crowd, refused to surrender. He won four consecutive games to take the set 7-5 and seal the victory. For De Minaur, it was a bitter result, as victory had seemed within reach only moments earlier.

After the defeat, De Minaur spoke honestly about his emotions, describing the loss as one of the hardest to accept this year. “I think it’s probably a good thing I don’t express my feelings right now because they’re quite dark,” he admitted.

He went on to explain that he has faced several similar situations in 2024 and 2025, where he was in control of matches but could not finish them off. “It just feels like it’s been that type of year where I’ve had a whole lot of matches that should have gone my way and just somehow don’t,” he said.

This recurring pattern has become a source of frustration for the 25-year-old, who has been striving to establish himself among the top players in the world.

The loss to Musetti adds to a series of difficult defeats that De Minaur has experienced recently. At the US Open, he won the first set against Felix Auger-Aliassime but eventually lost in the quarterfinals, marking his sixth exit at that stage of a Grand Slam.

At Wimbledon, he suffered a similar fate against Novak Djokovic, winning the first set 6-1 before losing the next three sets. These setbacks have highlighted an ongoing issue in converting strong starts into victories against top-ranked players.

De Minaur confessed that these patterns are starting to take an emotional toll. “It’s something that if it doesn’t get sorted, it’s going to eat me alive,” he said. “I need to get it sorted sooner rather than later. I don’t know how many times I can deal with a loss like this one.”

Following his second loss in the ATP Finals—after already falling to world number one Carlos Alcaraz in his opening match—De Minaur emphasized the need to address his mental and tactical challenges.

“Just have a talk to my team and try to sort out these issues because these are issues that can’t keep happening,” he stated. “If I really want to be serious about taking the next step in my career, these matches, I can’t lose them. I just can’t.”

His final round-robin match will be against Taylor Fritz, last year’s ATP Finals runner-up. De Minaur must win to keep any hope of progressing, though it will also serve as a test of his resilience after the emotional blow against Musetti.

Despite the pain, tennis analysts and fans know that De Minaur’s biggest strength has always been his fighting spirit. Nicknamed “Demon” for his relentless energy and speed, he has built a reputation as one of the hardest-working players on tour.

This loss, while painful, could serve as a turning point. Many believe that if De Minaur can learn to manage the pressure in closing stages, he has the potential to consistently challenge top-10 players.

As he prepares for his next match, De Minaur remains focused on improvement. His determination to correct these issues and his honesty about his struggles show the mindset of a player committed to growth, even after heartbreak.