Alex de Minaur is saving some of his best tennis for late in the 2026 season.
The indefatigable Aussie notched an important win on Saturday in Vienna, taking out soon-to-be world No.1 Alexander Zverev, 6-4, 1-6, 7-6(4), to reach his first final at the Erste Bank Open.
The Aussie will face Carlos Alcaraz for the title on Sunday.
The victory is De Minaur’s fourth career win over a Top 2 player, and his fifth in 14 tries against Zverev. It is a victory that vaults him past Rafael Jodar in the Race to Turin standings. As of Saturday evening, the Aussie sits in the final qualifying spot for the ATP’s season-ending championships, one point ahead of Jodar.
PIF ATP Live Race to Turin
| Rank | Player | Points | Scenario |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Alexander Zverev (GER) QUALIFIED | 9,350 | Vienna – Lost to de Minaur in SF |
| 2 | Carlos Alcaraz (ESP) QUALIFIED | 4,800 | Vienna – Faces de Minaur in final |
| 3 | Ben Shelton (USA) QUALIFIED | 4,530 | Basel – Lost to Kym in 2R |
| 4 | Daniil Medvedev QUALIFIED | 3,860 | Vienna – Lost to Alcaraz in SF |
| 5 | Flavio Cobolli (ITA) | 3,690 | Vienna – Lost to Berrettini in 2R |
| 6 | Arthur Fils (FRA) | 3,525 | Basel – Lost to Fritz in QF |
| 7 | Frances Tiafoe (USA) | 3,380 | Vienna – Lost to Musetti in 1R |
| 8 | Alex de Minaur (AUS) | 3,210 | Vienna – Faces Alcaraz in final |
| 9 | Rafael Jodar (ESP) | 3,209 | Basel – Lost to Vacherot in 2R |
| 10 | Novak Djokovic (SRB) | 2,890 | Basel – Lost to Struff in 2R |
| 11 | Taylor Fritz (USA) | 2,885 | Basel – Lost to Vacherot in SF |
| 12 | Tommy Paul (USA) | 2,775 | Vienna – Lost to Alcaraz in QF |
| 13 | Alejandro Davidovich Fokina (ESP) | 2,450 | — |
| 14 | Jiri Lehecka (CZE) | 2,580 | Basel – Faces Vacherot in final |
“Super proud, super stoked of how I handled the situation, how I handled the moment,” he said.
“I was very calm, even though I threw in a couple of doubles there, which I would have loved to have back,” he said. “But I thought, all in all, I played a very aggressive tiebreak. I played on my terms, I was going to go out swinging and play the right type of tennis, and that’s what I think made the difference today.”
Did his serve let him down in the second set?
“100 percent,” he said, adding: “I think it was obviously a combination. Sascha also lifted his level from the ground immensely. I struggled to make first serves, so it made my life even harder, and then it was an accumulation of both, right?”
Zverev will leave with the consolation that he has done enough to assure himself the No.1 ranking when the November 2 ATP rankings are released. He will become the 30th No.1 in the history of the ATP on Monday, and the second German to achieve the feat.
De Minaur needed a big push in the third set to finish off Zverev, and he got exactly that.
“I did well to reset in the third set and kind of just get my way again, start serving well. And I thought, again, for the first set and the third set, I thought I served really well, and that’s been a key improvement in my game.”
“I’m just happy with what I’m doing, the way I’m competing, the way I’m going about my business,” he said. “Just one foot in front of the other, doing what I can, and ultimately I’m playing some good tennis. So I’m looking forward to hopefully finishing strong what’s left of the season.”
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