Opponent in tears after final choke as Alex De Minaur saves three championship points to clinch 10th career title
Alex de Minaur delivered a heart-stopping performance to claim his 10th career title at the Washington Open final on Sunday, July 27, 2025, saving three championship points in a dramatic 5-7, 6-1, 7-6(3) victory over Alejandro Davidovich Fokina, leaving his opponent in tears after a devastating final-set choke. The seventh-seeded Australian turned the tide at the William H.G. Fitzgerald Tennis Center in Washington, D.C., overcoming a first-set loss and a 5-2 deficit in the third-set tiebreak to secure the ATP 500 crown in a match that stretched 2 hours and 23 minutes. This triumph, his first of 2025, not only marked a significant milestone but also propelled his live ranking to No. 10, setting the stage for a strong US Open campaign starting August 24.
The match was a rollercoaster of emotion and skill, with Fokina, the unseeded Spaniard, seizing the first set with aggressive baseline play, breaking de Minaur’s serve to lead 6-5 before closing it 7-5. De Minaur, however, roared back in the second set, dominating 6-1 with 12 winners, leveling the match with a 65% first-serve win rate despite 33 unforced errors. The third set proved the decider, with Fokina holding a 5-2 lead in the tiebreak and three championship points at 6-3, 7-4, and 8-5. Yet, he faltered—missing a forehand return on the first, a backhand on the second, and lunging unsuccessfully on the third as de Minaur scrambled with desperate defense, culminating in a winning forehand down the line. The crowd erupted as Fokina, still without an ATP title in his second final, collapsed in tears, burying his face in a towel, overwhelmed by the missed opportunity.
De Minaur’s resilience shone through, with 27 winners and a clutch performance under pressure, saving those critical points to secure his first hardcourt title since Acapulco 2023. His post-match gesture—sitting beside the shattered Fokina and offering a consoling arm around his shoulder—added a layer of sportsmanship that has been widely lauded, with fans on X calling it “pure class” and “a moment to remember.” For Fokina, ranked No. 32, the loss is a bitter pill, though it’s expected to push him into the top 20, his emotional reaction reflecting the weight of the moment.
This victory, achieved with no points to defend until the US Open due to last year’s injury, underscores de Minaur’s resurgence, boasting a 27-2 record against players outside the top 30 this year. As the early morning hours tick by at 06:09 AM WAT on Monday, July 28, 2025, in West Africa, de Minaur’s triumph not only cements his status as a top-10 contender but also highlights his ability to turn adversity into glory, setting an optimistic tone for his North American swing. Fokina’s tears, meanwhile, serve as a poignant reminder of the fine margins in tennis, with de Minaur’s compassion offering a silver lining to the Spaniard’s defeat.
