A wave of laughter rippled through social media as fans poked fun at Australian tennis star Alex de Minaur, not only for his performance on the court but also for a fashion faux pas that many felt was a disservice to his talent.
As the tennis elite gathered on the ‘blue carpet’ for the prestigious ATP Finals launch, the players’ rather quirky sartorial choices sparked a frenzy among fans, who quickly took to the internet to share their thoughts on the appearance of their favourite athletes.
Double-breasted suit jackets seemed to dominate the scene, though the fits were far from flattering, described by some as slightly baggy and, dare we say, in need of a good press.
Among the stars facing the fashion firing squad were Jannik Sinner, Alexander Zverev, Carlos Alcaraz (who escaped relatively unscathed), Daniil Medvedev, Taylor Fritz, Casper Ruud, Andrey Rublev, and of course, de Minaur himself. Comments flooded in, with one Reddit user quipping, “De Minaur looks like an elderly gentleman from a bygone era,” while another Twitter user remarked, “It’s starting to resemble a gathering of ventriloquist dummies!”
Critiques ranged from playful to downright harsh, with one fan lamenting that the players appeared ready for jury duty rather than a glamorous tennis event. Others compared their looks to that of a “school teacher at the dance” or a “local church choir,” driving home the point that these champions certainly fell short of the typical style standards expected on such a red-carpet occasion.
One disgruntled fan tweeted, “Horrible photo. They all look 65. These men deserve better. Please do better if you want tennis fans to be fully engaged,” while another ominously added that their fashion choices would likely haunt them for years to come.
But the focus quickly shifted back to the court as de Minaur braced himself for a daunting challenge in his ATP Finals debut, set to face nemesis Sinner in front of the Italian’s passionate supporters on the event’s opening night in Turin. The young Aussie is the first Australian participant in the end-of-season championship in two decades and has yet to secure a win over the world No. 1 in their previous encounters, suffering seven defeats without a single victory.
As de Minaur prepares for the match at the Inalpi Arena, many believe he faces an uphill battle to end his five-year winless streak against Sinner. In Thursday’s draw, the ‘Demon’ found himself in the company of formidable opponents, including 2020 Finals champion Daniil Medvedev and American contender Taylor Fritz in the ‘Ilie Nastase Group’. With only the top two players in the group progressing to the semi-finals, de Minaur must aim for victories over Medvedev and Fritz to keep his hopes alive, especially given his discouraging record against Sinner.
Remarkably, in their seven previous matches, de Minaur has only managed to clinch a single set against Sinner—and that was four years ago. Nonetheless, this season has been marked by significant progress for the Aussie, highlighted by a stunning victory over Stefano Tsitsipas in Acapulco earlier in 2024—a first after enduring ten losses. De Minaur humorously referenced the late Vitas Gerulaitis, saying, “No-one beats Alex de Minaur 11 times in a row!”
Despite his uphill battle, de Minaur stands alongside fellow Australian talents in Turin, including US Open champions Jordan Thompson and Max Purcell, who will make up an all-Sydney duo in the doubles competition. They are slated to kick off the tournament on Sunday against the pairing of Wesley Koolhof and Nikola Mektic, while Olympic doubles champion Matt Ebden teams up with seasoned veteran Rohan Bopanna for his own campaign.
