Alex de Minaur kept his Nitto ATP Finals hopes alive in Turin’s Jimmy Connors Group with a 7-6(3), 6-3 win over Taylor Fritz. It was his first victory in six matches at the season-ending event, following his debut last year. And of course, it was a huge win, one so intense that the excitement and relief were clear not just in his game, but in every expression caught by the cameras.

Just after securing the victory, Alex de Minaur approached a camera and wrote “Finally” on the lens. It was a small gesture, but it carried a lot of meaning. Only two days earlier, he had suffered a tough three-set loss to Lorenzo Musetti. He knew that to keep any chance of reaching the semi-finals alive, he had to beat Taylor Fritz in straight sets. This time, De Minaur played with confidence and finished the round-robin stage with a 1-2 record. But the story didn’t end on the court.

After the match, an interviewer asked him about writing on the camera lens. He replied, “Yeah, I’ve dealt with a fair bit of heartbreak recently. It was good to finally get a win here, get into it. Yes, I worked really hard, so it was good to get some positive feedback or positive reward for the hard work. Very happy with the performance today.”  But the pressure that still lay ahead.

Alex de Minaur’s fate now hinges on World No. 1 Carlos Alcaraz. If Alcaraz beats Musetti on Thursday evening, De Minaur will join him in the semi-finals. Musetti can also still qualify by winning against Alcaraz. Last year’s finalist, Fritz, meanwhile, finished 1-2 and is now eliminated. The win was a confidence boost, but the group’s outcome could still change everything. The victory was also a personal milestone.

Alex de Minaur now leads Fritz 6-5 in their Lexus ATP Head2Head series and notched his first-ever win at the Nitto ATP Finals after going 0-3 in 2024. It was a relief after tough losses, yet the mental challenge of the tournament is far from over. But did he know, his fate now hinges on someone else entirely? Apparently, he doesn’t.

Alex de Minaur gains a mental boost from Harrison after a key victory

Alex de Minaur still has a chance to pull off a miracle at the ATP Finals. His straight-sets win over Taylor Fritz has kept his semi-final hopes alive, but for him to progress, Carlos Alcaraz must defeat Lorenzo Musetti tonight. Asked about this scenario during his on-court interview, De Minaur laughed in disbelief: “Is that true or not? Uh… I don’t know, right now I don’t trust you, I’m going to have to see what happens.” Even if the outcome is uncertain, it caught the attention of those who know the sports.

Former ATP player Ryan Harrison was full of praise for De Minaur’s performance. “That’s an effort that goes down in the books as one of the most impressive mental efforts I’ve seen in a very long time,” Harrison said. “You could see on the camera there ‘finally’, just to give you a little insight as to what was going through his mind…” Harrison’s words show how focused De Minaur was, but also hint at the next high-stakes moment he must face.

Harrison also noted that the challenge is far from over. “With Carlos playing later for the world number one year-end ranking, you’ve got to expect that he’s going to be raring to go. If you’re De Minaur, all you can do is watch. He’s going to have his Spanish flag out; he grew up in Spain, his coach is from Spain, and he has a lot of Spanish roots.” Alex de Minaur has a lot on the line, and every second matters.

In addition to De Minaur’s fate, the semifinal lineup as a whole will be decided by Alcaraz’s matchup with Musetti. “He’s going to be in full Spanish force as he cheers on Carlos to get through the Italian,” Harrison added. Fans will be on the edge of their seats until the very last minute, as the result of this one game could determine whether Alex de Minaur has a dream run or has to leave early.