After Katie’s triumph, now it’s Alex’s turn to shine

His fiancée Katie Boulter, whom he will marry this year, won the WTA tournament in Ostrava last week, marking another highlight in her tennis career. Plenty of motivation on Valentine’s Day, for Alex de Minaur to follow her example and capture the coveted ABN AMRO Open title. And, once again he is getting very close. He only needs one more victory on centre court in Sunday’s final, his third in a row in Rotterdam Ahoy, having lost the two previous championship matches to none other than Jannik Sinner in 2024 and Carlos Alcaraz last year.

Anyone who watched the 26-year-old Australian defeat the one-year-older Frenchman Ugo Humbert 6-4, 6-3 in the semi-finals could only be impressed by his catenaccio-style tennis. With such an impressive defense, how was it possible for anyone to return so many thunder strikes, often surpassing twenty shots in a single rally, from both corners of the court, over and over again? De Minaur showcased his extraordinary footwork and refined defensive skills especially when the pressure was at its highest. Humbert earned ten break points, but "The Demon” fought back every single time and did not concede a single service game.

"I’m so happy to be through,” said the world No. 8 in relief after the hour-and-a-half battle with the world No. 36. "Ugo is such a dangerous opponent. I often couldn’t find any rhythm, and my forehand wasn’t always working well. That’s partly because the court here is slow and the balls get heavier quickly as they fluff up. But I see it as my greatest strength that I can adapt well to situations. I always tell myself that there’s one thing I must not do on court, and that’s to get frustrated.” With his third final in three years, De Minaur has achieved a unique feat in the 53-year history of the ABN AMRO Open. No one has done it before, not even greats like Tom Okker (three semi-finals from 1974-1976) or Roger Federer (five quarter-finals from 2001-2005). Sunday afternoon will also mark his 20th ATP final overall, ten of which he has won.

"I’m incredibly proud that I’ve fought my way back into this position,” said the modest winner. Then, with a smile: "Hopefully I’ll wake up on the right side of the bed tomorrow, and then really feel my forehand beautifully.”