Alex de Minaur pulled off a dramatic comeback to claim the Mubadala Citi DC Open title on Sunday, defeating Spain’s Alejandro Davidovich Fokina 5-7, 6-1, 7-6 (3) in a gripping final at the ATP 500 event in Washington, D.C.
The Australian No. 1 showcased trademark grit, rallying from a set down and saving three match points to secure his 10th career title. With the victory, De Minaur is set to break into the top 10 of the ATP rankings for the first time, just weeks ahead of the U.S Open.
Both 26-year-olds exchanged early breaks in a tightly contested opening set before Davidovich Fokina seized control with a second break and closed it out with confident baseline hitting. But De Minaur roared back in the second, breaking twice and dominating on serve to level the match with a clinical 6-1 set.
The final set looked destined for the Spaniard, who broke and led 5-3, only to falter while serving for the title. A misfired forehand handed the break back to De Minaur, who held firm in a tense final stretch. Davidovich Fokina squandered three match points in a nervy 12th game, and De Minaur capitalised in the tiebreak as his opponent’s unforced errors mounted.
“It’s incredible,” said De Minaur after the win. “I felt like I stole that one a little bit, but I never stopped fighting.”
For Davidovich Fokina, it was another heartbreaking miss in his pursuit of a maiden ATP title, while De Minaur’s triumph capped off a brilliant week that cements his status among the elite ahead of the final Grand Slam of the year.
