Alex de Minaur’s Historic Victory at the Ultimate Tennis Showdown
Australian tennis star Alex de Minaur made headlines on Sunday at the Ultimate Tennis Showdown (UTS) by defeating Casper Ruud in the final held in London, thus achieving a remarkable milestone as the first player to win the UTS Grand Final three times. His victory follows a gripping match at the Copper Box Arena, where he triumphed over Ruud in a format consisting of four quarters. Despite a slow start that saw him lose the opening quarter by four points, de Minaur rallied to secure the match with scores of 11-15, 15-10, 15-11, and 16-7.
UTS Circuit Achievements
This latest win marks de Minaur’s third title in the UTS circuit, with his initial championship victory dating back to 2020 in Antwerp. Competing as the World No. 7, he encountered only one defeat throughout the London event; he first faced French player Adrian Mannarino, whom he defeated 3-1 (with individual games narrowly won, including a tiebreak). His only setback came in a close contest against Andrey Rublev, where he succumbed 1-3. After bouncing back to beat Tomas Machac 3-1 in the quarterfinals, he cruised past Ugo Humbert in the semifinals with a clean 3-0 performance.
Reflections on the Win
“Winning here again is incredible. London feels like home for me now, and to win at this event is just a bonus,”
de Minaur expressed during the post-match media session.
He acknowledged the challenging matches he encountered during the tournament and emphasized the importance of stepping back into practice for the upcoming season.
Looking Ahead
Looking ahead, de Minaur will be competing in Sydney, Australia, where he will team up with notable compatriots like Lleyton Hewitt and Jason Kubler for the United Cup 2026. Last season, the Australian team faced tough competition, ultimately falling short of advancing to the next stages despite an initial win against Great Britain following a loss to Argentina.
De Minaur closed out the previous season with an impressive 56 wins against 24 losses, earning his sole title for the year at the Citi Open, and finishing his run at the ATP Finals in Turin, where he was eliminated by the eventual champion, Jannik Sinner. As he gears up for the new season, he aims to lead his national team to success in the United Cup, where they will challenge teams from Czechia and Norway in Group D.
