Alex de Minaur in ‘tough’ revelation at Davis Cup after ‘awful’ backlash from Aus Open exit
Alex de Minaur Leads Australia to Commanding Davis Cup Lead Over Sweden
Alex de Minaur expressed relief after overcoming a challenging Davis Cup clash against Sweden’s Mikael Ymer, bouncing back from his Australian Open quarter-final defeat with a hard-fought straight-sets victory. Alongside debutant Aleksandar Vukic, de Minaur put Australia in control of the tie, securing a crucial 2-0 lead in Stockholm.
The World No. 8 battled through a tightly contested opening set before pulling away for a 7-5, 6-1 win on Saturday morning (AEDT). Ymer, a former top-50 player who recently returned from an 18-month anti-doping suspension, tested de Minaur early, pushing him to a 41-shot rally and keeping the first 10 games on serve. However, the Australian seized the momentum at the crucial moment, winning eight consecutive points to claim the opening set before dominating the second.
De Minaur’s victory came just weeks after his Australian Open loss to eventual champion Jannik Sinner—his tenth consecutive defeat against the Italian. The one-sided head-to-head record sparked criticism on social media, with de Minaur firing back at a fan who questioned his self-belief. Tennis analyst Jelena Dokic later defended the Australian against the harsh remarks.
Despite the lingering discourse, de Minaur showed no signs of mental fatigue in Stockholm. “It was a tough match. Mikael played really well, and I knew he’d be a strong opponent. I’m just happy I got the win for Australia,” he told the crowd, which included his mother Esther and a vocal contingent of Australian supporters.
Following de Minaur’s victory, Vukic extended Australia’s lead by defeating Leo Borg—the son of Swedish legend Bjorn Borg—6-4, 6-4. The World No. 66 demonstrated his superiority over the 21-year-old, who ranks more than 400 places below him, maintaining the form that saw him reach the Australian Open third round and nearly upset World No. 15 Jack Draper.
Borg showed resilience, breaking back in the first set and earning three break points late in the second. However, Vukic responded under pressure, firing 10 aces and securing the win on his second match point. “Leo’s a great player, and it’s always tough playing in front of a home crowd. I’m really happy to get the win,” Vukic said.
With a 2-0 lead in the best-of-five-rubber tie, Australia is on the verge of sealing progression to the second round of Davis Cup qualifying. Olympic doubles champions John Peers and Matt Ebden are strong favorites to defeat Filip Bergevi and Andre Goransson in Sunday’s doubles rubber, which could render the reverse singles matches unnecessary.
Lleyton Hewitt’s injury-hit squad—missing Nick Kyrgios, Jordan Thompson, and Thanasi Kokkinakis—has proven its depth, with de Minaur and Vukic stepping up to put Australia in a commanding position.
