Aussie rocket Alex de Minaur secures his spot among the elite in Turin
There’s something deeply satisfying about watching hard work rewarded in real time.
On Thursday night in Paris, Alex de Minaur earned that moment. Not with a dramatic fifth-set tiebreak or a desperate comeback, but through the clean, clinical precision that has defined his season.
With a 6-2, 6-2 demolition of Karen Khachanov, the Australian sealed his place at the 2025 ATP Finals in Turin, becoming the seventh man to qualify for the season-ending showcase.
It was victory number 55 for de Minaur this year. A number that says more than any superlative could.
Only Carlos Alcaraz has won more matches in 2025, and that alone speaks volumes about the consistency, grit, and quiet excellence of the world’s fastest mover. For a player whose career has often been framed around hustle and heart, this season has added a new layer. The ability to dominate.
De Minaur’s win over Khachanov was, in a word, ruthless. The Russian, a former Paris champion and winner of their last two meetings, barely got a look-in as the Australian absorbed pressure and countered with laser-sharp aggression. De Minaur didn’t face a single break across 68 minutes of play.
When he walked to the net, it wasn’t just another handshake. But a the closing of a circle that began months ago with a simple goal, which was to prove he belongs among the very best.
Then came the on-court revelation. Told by the interviewer that his Turin qualification was confirmed, de Minaur blinked, momentarily disbelieving.
“Is that actually confirmed?” he asked, before the smile broke through. “Jeez, that feels amazing. There’s been a lot of stress these last few weeks. I did my best not to think about the race, but it’s too hard. It’s the first I’ve heard of it, and I’m extremely proud. Now I can finally relax for a bit.”
It was a rare crack in the composed facade of a man who’s built his reputation on composure. But it was also telling. Beneath the clean footwork and relentless retrieving lies a competitor who has quietly carried the weight of expectation of Australian tennis.
When de Minaur first qualified for the Finals last year, he became the first Aussie to do so since Lleyton Hewitt in 2004. Now, he’s back for a second straight season, carving his own niche in a lineage of fighters.
And fight he has. This year alone, de Minaur captured the ATP 500 title in Washington, saving three championship points in a thriller against Alejandro Davidovich Fokina, and reached another final in Rotterdam, where Alcaraz stopped him in peak form.
He’s been a fixture deep in tournaments. 12 times he’s reached the quarterfinals or better, half of them at Masters 1000 events or above. Monte Carlo, Beijing, Vienna, the US Open — pick a venue, and chances are de Minaur left a mark.
For the first time in his career, he’s crossed the 50-win threshold, standing at 55 and counting.
He leads the men’s tour in hard-court victories, a surface that rewards precision and persistence. Both of which he has in spades. And with one spot left in the Turin field, de Minaur’s qualification underscores just how rare sustained excellence has become in a calendar this dense.
