Alex de Minaur Recalls Lone Meeting with Roger Federer at Basel Open: “Even My Mother Was Cheering Him on”

Roger Federer downed Alex de Minaur in the 2019 Swiss Indoors final to win his career's last singles title.

Alex de Minaur Recalls Lone Meeting with Roger Federer at Basel Open: “Even My Mother Was Cheering Him on”

Roger Federer, Alex de Minaur (Image via X/AllAboutHQ, We Are Tennis France)

In Short
  • Alex de Minaur faced Roger Federer once in the 2019 Swiss Indoors final, losing 6-2, 6-2.
  • Federer's victory marked his 10th title at the tournament and was his last career final.
  • De Minaur recently won the Rotterdam Open and will compete at the Indian Wells Masters next.

Alex de Minaur understood perfectly how facing Roger Federer in the latter’s homeland felt. De Minaur has met Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic multiple times, but he has played Federer just once.

Back in 2019, Federer clashed with de Minaur in the final of the Swiss Indoors and won the match, dismantling the Aussie 6-2, 6-2, claiming his 10th title at the tournament in his 15th final. The 27-year-old recalled playing the Swiss maestro on the sidelines of the UTS exhibition and said he knew he was in trouble from the moment he entered center court.

I only played him once, in the final in Basel. I got a lesson. It was for Roger’s 10th title there. Everything was already set up: the banners, the fireworks… Everyone in Basel knew Roger was going to win that match. And, indeed, he won that 10th title, 6–2, 6–2. It was a little lesson full of respect in 57 minutes. Even my mother was cheering Roger on. That shows how far I was in trouble.

The match eventually turned out to be Federer’s career’s last final and his career’s 103rd singles victory. The 20-time Grand Slam champion called time on his career at the 2022 Laver Cup.

Alex de Minaur explains what he noticed about Novak Djokovic at the Australian Open

At the Australian Open this year, Novak Djokovic shocked the tennis world by overcoming two-time defending champion Jannik Sinner in the semifinals. His goal of winning his career’s 25th Major, however, remains unfulfilled, with Carlos Alcaraz dashing his hopes with a four-set win in the final.

Novak Djokovic
Novak Djokovic (Image via X/Lacoste)

Nevertheless, the 38-year-old has proved once again that in Grand Slam events, it’s impossible to write him off. There’s one thing about the Serb’s game at Melbourne Park that de Minaur has noticed.

Watching Novak play those last two matches and seeing him being able to go toe-to-toe with them, what you notice is that strike, and it’s inevitable that ball speed. I felt his ball speed. And going up and down the middle, when they showed the average stats throughout the tournament, Novak was ahead of Carlos.

Alex de Minaur said on his YouTube channel

The win made Alcaraz the youngest Career Grand Slam champion and the youngest man to win seven Majors. It also helped him tie the head-to-head record over the 24-time Major champion to 5-5.

Even though it was just by 1km or whatever, the fact that someone like Novak is able to create pressure and make these guys feel uncomfortable shows it can be done; you just have to improve on that.

Alex de Minaur added

De Minaur recently clinched the Rotterdam Open by defeating Felix Auger-Aliassime. He was last seen in action at the Mexican Open, where he suffered an opening-round exit. De Minaur will next be playing the Indian Wells Masters, the main draw of which is scheduled to start on March 4. He has never made it past the fourth round in the event, also reaching the stage last year and losing to Francisco Cerundolo.

Djokovic will also be next seen in action in the first Sunshine Doubles event, also his first tournament since the Melbourne Slam. Last year at Indian Wells, Djokovic lost to Botic van de Zandschulp in the opening round, while at the Miami Open he made the final but lost to Jakub Mensik.

Djokovic holds the record for the most Indian Wells titles, along with Roger Federer, with both winning five each. The last time Djokovic won the event was in 2016.

Also Read: What is the Prize Money for the 2026 Indian Wells Open?