‘Horrible’: World laughing at cruel Alex de Minaur photo

The tennis world is losing it over Alex de Minaur’s eye-catching debut as the ATP Tour Finals launch flopped spectacularly.

Alex de Minaur and Carlos Alcaraz were done dirty. Photo: Getty.

Alex de Minaur was not the only star stitched up as the ATP Tour Finals launch flopped spectacularly on Friday morning (AEDT).

The year-ending showdown between the best eight players in the world has traditionally opened with a classy group photo headlined by Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic.

It’s fair to say it’s been on the slide.

After a brutal backlash to players strutting the Turin pavement in streetwear 12 months ago, this year’s dress code has tanked even harder.

The threads on display have been widely panned by fans on social media with plenty averting their eyes to the crimes against fashion.

If wearing a baggy, double-breasted, beige suit wasn’t bad enough, the Australian was also left looking out of place when the eight players stood on a stage for the official opening of the tournament.

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The 25-year-old was plonked on the widest available seat. Matched with his couch slouch posture and the blazer stolen from Ross Geller’s wardrobe, many were left assuming the Aussie No. 1 was a humble retiree that took a wrong turn somewhere on the Turin cobblestones.

Alex de Minaur and Carlos Alcaraz were done dirty. Photo: Getty.

It looked even worse from on top. Photo: Super Tennis, via reddit/sports.

The hap-hazard chair arrangement that even IKEA wouldn’t display also didn’t favour world No. 3 Carlos Alcaraz, who also looked like an excited teenager at his Grade 10 formal while sitting next to 1.98m German Alexander Zverev.

De Minaur and Alcaraz, were the only two players being sucked into shin-level yellow relaxers that had their eye-level at the knee height of the master of ceremonies.

It left plenty making the same joke.

Alex de Minaur on the blue carpet. Photo by Diego Puletto/Getty Images.

All well and good, but where is Carlos Alcaraz? Photo: Twitter, ATP Tour.

“De Minaur looks like some old guy,” one fan said on the official Reddit tennis page.

Even with what may well be platform shoes, de Minaur looked far from imposing on the brightly-lit stage.

Thankfully, the ensembles of those sitting next to him did their best to steal the spot light.

Taking in the sight of eight men trying to fight their way out of their finery, the jokes came in think and fast in responses to the official ATP Tour account on Twitter.

“It’s a bit like a ventriloquist dummy convention,” one Twitter user posted.

Fans reckon Russian hot head Andrey Rublev looked like the psychologist he badly needs. Photo by Diego Puletto/Getty Images)

One wrote: “They look like they’re in court, ready for jury service or something”.

Another posted: “What a chance to get them in FASHION, not dressed like your school teacher at the dance”.

One cruelly wrote: “Horrible photo. They all look 65. These men deserve better. Please do better if you want tennis fans to be fully engaged”.

Another wrote: “Those fashion choices will haunt them in a few years”.

One posted: That’s the choir of the local church”.

Alex De Minaur on stage. Photo by Diego Puletto/Getty Images.

It might not have gone as he’d hoped, but at least de Minaur can officially say he has participated in the ATP Tour Finals — something no Aussie has done since Lleyton Hewitt in 2004.

He will begin his campaign against world No. 1 Jannik Sinner on Monday morning (AEDT).

Sinner avoided his key rival Carlos Alcaraz when the groups were drawn on Friday morning.

World number one Sinner was drawn in the Ilie Nastase Group with Daniil Medvedev, Taylor Fritz and de Minaur.

Reigning French Open and Wimbledon champion Alcaraz, ranked three in the world, was drawn in the John Newcombe Group with Alexander Zverev, Casper Ruud and Andrey Rublev.

The top two players in each group will qualify for the semi-finals.