Alex de Minaur Notches 200th Hard-Court Win with Opening Victory in Doha
Alex de Minaur kicked off his Qatar Open campaign in style, defeating Roman Safiullin 6-1, 7-5 in the first round on Tuesday. But this win wasn’t just about advancing—it also marked a major milestone in his career.
The Australian, who turned 26 on Monday, became the first male player born in 1999 or later to reach 200 career hard-court wins. He narrowly edged out World No. 1 Jannik Sinner, who currently sits at 195 hard-court victories.
Most Hard-Court Wins – Men Born in 1999 or Later (Tour-Level)
- 200 – Alex de Minaur (born 1999)
- 195 – Jannik Sinner (born 2001)
- 159 – Denis Shapovalov (born 1999)
- 154 – Felix Auger-Aliassime (born 2000)
- 114 – Carlos Alcaraz (born 2003)
- 102 – Miomir Kecmanovic (born 1999)
De Minaur also became just the third Australian man in the Open Era to achieve this feat, following Lleyton Hewitt (372) and Patrick Rafter (212).
De Minaur Battles Through Late Surge from Safiullin
It looked like de Minaur would cruise to victory, leading 6-1, 5-3, and coming within two points of closing out the match. But Safiullin fought back, holding serve and then breaking to level the second set at 5-5.
However, de Minaur immediately broke back, reclaiming a 6-5 lead, before sealing the match in one hour and 38 minutes.
The win was his tour-leading 12th of 2025, further solidifying his strong start to the season.
Next Up: Botic van de Zandschulp
The No. 2 seed now faces Dutch qualifier Botic van de Zandschulp in the second round. Van de Zandschulp advanced after defeating Jordanian wild card Abdullah Shelbayh 7-5, 6-3.
De Minaur has won both of their previous meetings, including a straight-sets victory at the Australian Open last month. With his confidence high, he’ll be looking to extend his momentum and push deeper into the tournament.
