WASHINGTON — Top seed and defending champion Alex de Minaur overcame a daunting psychological hurdle on Wednesday night, defeating Greece’s Stefanos Tsitsipas in three sets to open his 2026 Mubadala DC Open campaign.
Entering the match with a glaring 1-12 head-to-head deficit against the former World No. 3, the Australian relied on tactical adjustments and his trademark defensive resilience to seal the victory in just over two hours.
“Coming in, I really didn’t have too many expectations. It was a quick turnaround,” De Minaur noted in his post-match interview, referencing his recent wedding to WTA star Katie Boulter and their subsequent Italian honeymoon. “It wasn’t pretty tennis, but I did just enough to get over the line.”
Turning the Tide
The opening set saw Tsitsipas, who has slid to No. 51 in the ATP rankings, take an early 4-2 break lead. However, De Minaur quickly adjusted his service placement, steering clear of Tsitsipas’ dangerous inside-out forehand zone. The strategic shift allowed the Australian to rattle off four straight games to snatch the first set 6-4.
Tsitsipas responded by raising his aggression in the second set, utilizing eight total aces to level the match. In the decider, De Minaur tightened his baseline play, capitalising on a crucial service break to lead 3-1 before serving out the match.
The win marks De Minaur’s 60th victory at the ATP 500 level since the start of 2023, the most of any player on tour.
Next Up: A Historic All-Aussie Battle
The triumph sets up a highly anticipated second-round encounter against 17-year-old wildcard Cruz Hewitt. The teenager, who earned his maiden ATP tour victory earlier in the week, is the son of former World No. 1 Lleyton Hewitt—De Minaur’s long-time mentor and Davis Cup captain.
“It’s going to be a lot of fun,” De Minaur said of the generational matchup. “He’s completely earned his right to be where he is, and I’m looking forward to it.”