Alex de Minaur storms from 4-1 down in final set to seize DC Open in major positive ahead of US Open

After declaring himself at his athletic peak, Alex de Minaur delivered a bold US Open statement in the DC Open final.

Alex de Minaur wrapped his arms around his emotional opponent in the immediate aftermath of collecting his 10th career title after staging a stunning final-set fightback to win the DC Open.

The Australian No.1, now ranked eighth on the ATP live rankings, recovered after dropping the first set against Spaniard Alejandro Davidovich Fokina, steamrolling him in the second before coming back from 4-1 down in the final set to claim a 6-7, 6-1, 7-6 win.

As his opponent slumped in his chair, having given up a 4-1 final-set lead, de Minaur was quick to console him and the Australian showed all the sportsmanship that has made him a tour favourite with a post-match tribute.

“I want to start with Alejandro, as I told you and your team, you’re way too good to not have one of these,” de Minaur said after the match.

“It’s coming for sure. You deserved it today. I just got lucky. You are a hell of a competitor and player. No one on the tour wants to play you.

“This is not the end. It’s only going up for you.”

Alex de Minaur was a class act after winning the DC Open. Picture: Scott Taetsch/Getty Images/AFP

Playing his first event since being ousted by Novak Djokovic at Wimbledon, de Minaur, 26, rolled through the second set, after a close loss in the first, but looked like fading in the final set against the 12th seed.

But he rallied, broke his opponent’s serve twice, including with Davidovich Fokina serving for the match at 5-3.

Then de Minaur saved three match points while serving at 4-5 to level the final set 5-5 as the match time ticked close to three hours.

Davidovich Fokina ramped up his serve to hold, getting to 6-5, then de Minaur level again at 6-6 sending the electric contest to a final tie-break for the title.

The Australian was then never headed in the deciding 10 minutes, winning the opening two points of the tie-break and going on to win 7-3 to take the match in just more than three hours.

“I just kind of knew I could do it,” he said.

“I just backed myself and I told myself to commit no matter what and if I lost this match it was going to be on my terms. Today it went my way.

“I’ve had a couple of brutal ones not go my way, so I’m glad this one went my way.”

It was de Minaur’s 19th ATP Tour final of his career, and the Australian star now has 35 wins this season, hoping to crack the 50-win mark for the first time having won either 46 or 47 matches in each of the past three seasons.

WASHING-TEN 🏆 @alexdeminaur makes it double digits in titles!#MubadalaCitiDCOpenpic.twitter.com/WVmopZYUfw

— Tennis TV (@TennisTV) July 28, 2025

Before the tournament began, de Minaur was adamant that he was at his “peak” and big wins had to start coming.

“I’ve got the experience now. I’ve got the knowledge, the physicality side of things. Everything is just there for me to go out and perform,” de Minaur said.

“I can really have a swing these next three or four years and really show that I’m at my peak and break through some barriers.”

Those barriers will next present themselves at Flushing Meadow with a possible run in the new-look US Open doubles with de Minaur’s British fiancee, Katie Boulter, before his assault on singles.

Originally published as Alex de Minaur storms from 4-1 down in final set to seize DC Open in major positive ahead of US Open