Alex de Minaur “Mentally” Frustrated After Narrowly Losing to Lorenzo Musetti at the ATP Finals
Alex de Minaur will hope to beat Taylor Fritz in straight sets to dream about a possible semi-final qualification at the ATP Finals.
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Alex de Minaur, Lorenzo Musetti (Image via X/ESPN Tenis, AllAboutHQ)
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Alex de Minaur didn’t hold back after his narrow loss against Lorenzo Musetti at the ATP Finals, revealing his frustration on Tuesday (November 11) in Turin. The Australian star was seeking his first win at the prestigious season-ending tournament in his second appearance after losing to Carlos Alcaraz in his opening match on Sunday (November 9).
De Minaur has been one of the most consistent players on tour this season, but has often struggled in critical matches. Last year, he made his debut at the ATP Finals, losing his first two matches before crashing out of the event. He arrived in Turin this year with 55 tour-level match wins, more than last season.
But in his opening round robin match against Alcaraz, he failed to really challenge the six-time Grand Slam winner on the court, despite starting the first set well – losing in straight sets. He was hoping to claim his first win at the tournament against Musetti, but found himself down in the first set after the Italian star broke him in the twelfth game.
He did well by putting up a fight in the second set, breaking Musetti twice to win the set 6-3. However, it was in the deciding set that he failed to play with the same composure he did in the second set. He eventually fell to Musetti 5-7, 6-3, 5-7, making it the eighth occasion De Minaur has lost a deciding set in 2025, including against Musetti at the Monte Carlo Masters semi-finals.
With the loss, De Minaur is now 0-2 in the Jimmy Connors group and holds a 0-5 win-loss record at the ATP Finals. During his press conference, he bemoaned himself for not taking the next step in his career by winning critical matches on tour, particularly in big tournaments like the season-ending tournament in Turin:
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. I mean, it feels like I’ve lost a lot of them this year. More than anything, it’s getting to a point where mentally it’s killing me. I just [need to] win these matches. It’s something that if it doesn’t get sorted, it’s going to eat me alive.
De Minaur still has a chance of qualifying for the semi-finals of the ATP Finals should he beat Taylor Fritz in the final round robin match. Currently, Alcaraz tops the group with two wins in two matches, and will face Musetti in the final group stage. Should De Minaur beat Fritz in straight sets and Alcaraz beat Musetti, the Washington Open champion could still qualify for the semi-finals.
Lorenzo Musetti looks forward to his final round robin clash against Carlos Alcaraz in Turin
Lorenzo Musetti was the last player to join the ATP Finals after Novak Djokovic withdrew hours after winning the Hellenic Championship. The World No.9 was backed by the Italian crowd during his match against Alex de Minaur, which helped him get over the line against the Australian star on Tuesday (November 11).
Musetti will now face Carlos Alcaraz in the final round robin match at the ATP Finals. During his on-court interview after his win over Musetti, the Italian star revealed that he hopes to give his best against the Spaniard. He added that he was impressed by his mental toughness during his opening match:
I am a warrior. I have improved a lot on the mental side and I am pushing myself to the limit because I am playing every match against the top players. The next one coming is against Carlos. I know how difficult it is, especially in these conditions. I will try to enjoy and fight like I did today.
Musetti faces a tough task against Alcaraz in their clash on Thursday (November 13). He has beaten the World No.1 just once in his career and holds an underwhelming 1-6 head-to-head record against the Spaniard. They last met at the 2025 Roland Garros, where Musetti retired due to an injury in the fourth set.
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