Alex de Minaur’s $10 million mistake gets even worse as Jelena Dokic responds to Maya Joint feat
Alex de Minaur’s Costly Decision Looks Even Worse as Acapulco Draw Opens Up
Alex de Minaur’s decision to skip his title defense at the Mexican Open in favor of chasing a $10 million prize pool in the Middle East has backfired spectacularly. The Aussie star, who won Acapulco in 2023 and 2024, opted not to return in 2025, instead playing in Doha and Dubai to secure extra ranking points and prize money.
His decision was partly influenced by fiancée Katie Boulter’s expected participation in the WTA events in Doha and Dubai, allowing the couple rare time together during their hectic schedules. However, Boulter withdrew due to a foot injury, and De Minaur’s campaign quickly unraveled—losing in the quarterfinals in Doha and the second round in Dubai. As a result, he has fallen from World No.6 to No.9.
Acapulco’s Wide-Open Draw Adds to De Minaur’s Regret
If that wasn’t bad enough, the Acapulco draw opened up dramatically, making his absence even more painful. Several top seeds were wiped out due to illness, including:
- Casper Ruud (World No.5), Holger Rune (No.13), and Tommy Paul (No.10) – all forced to withdraw due to a stomach virus.
- World No.2 Alexander Zverev – struggling with the same ailment in a 3-6, 4-6 loss to American teenager Learner Tien.
- Fifth seed Ben Shelton – knocked out by David Goffin (6-7, 3-6).
Missed Opportunity for a Three-Peat
De Minaur had beaten Ruud in last year’s final after defeating Paul in 2023, making him a prime contender for a third-straight title in Mexico. With the illness wreaking havoc on the tournament, he would have been a strong favorite if he had entered.
Both Taylor Fritz and Lorenzo Musetti withdrew before the event, further clearing the path for a potential Acapulco hat-trick. Instead, De Minaur is left wondering what could have been.
Maya Joint’s Historic Win Brightens Australian Tennis Scene
Despite De Minaur’s setback, Australian tennis had something to celebrate on Thursday, as 18-year-old Maya Joint pulled off a stunning upset over World No.20 Donna Vekic at the Merida Open, winning 6-1, 6-2 to reach the quarter-finals.
In doing so, she became only the second Australian teenager in history—after Jelena Dokic—to hold a top-20 opponent to three games or fewer. Dokic, clearly impressed, shared the stat on Instagram with her 275,000 followers.
Rapid Rise into the Top 100
Joint entered the tournament ranked No.103, but after her win, she surged to No.83 in the live rankings. Her preseason goal was to break into the top 100 by the end of 2025, yet she’s already achieved it just two months into the year—and could climb even higher with another win.
