Alex de Minaur’s $10 million mistake gets even worse as Jelena Dokic responds to Maya Joint feat

Alex de Minaur’s decision to skip the Mexican Open, where he was the defending champion, for tournaments in the Middle East is now under heavy scrutiny. His pursuit of $10 million in prize money and extra ranking points in Doha and Dubai has backfired, especially as the Acapulco draw opened up significantly.

De Minaur, who won Acapulco in 2023 and 2024, opted for Doha and Dubai, hoping to spend time with his fiancée, Katie Boulter. However, Boulter withdrew due to injury, and de Minaur suffered early exits, dropping from World No. 6 to No. 9.

Meanwhile, Acapulco saw a dramatic series of withdrawals and upsets. Top seeds Casper Ruud, Holger Rune, and Tommy Paul pulled out due to a stomach bug, while Alexander Zverev, also affected by the ailment, lost to teenager Learner Tien. Ben Shelton, another high seed, also crashed out.

Ruud, Rune, and Paul all cited a virus as the reason for their withdrawals. Rune, despite attempting to play, retired mid-match. Taylor Fritz and Lorenzo Musetti had also withdrawn before the tournament began.

De Minaur, who had defeated Ruud and Paul in previous Acapulco finals, missed a golden opportunity for a third consecutive title, had he avoided the illness.

However, Australian tennis saw a bright spot in Merida. Teenage sensation Maya Joint stunned World No. 20 Donna Vekic, winning 6-1, 6-2 to reach the quarter-finals. This victory marked the biggest of her career and placed her alongside Jelena Dokic as only the second Australian teenager to dominate a top-20 opponent in such a fashion. Dokic herself shared the achievement with her followers.

Joint, ranked 103rd, climbed to 83rd in the live rankings after her win and has already achieved her 2025 goal of breaking into the top 100.