In a heart-pounding display of resilience, Australia’s Alex de Minaur staged an extraordinary comeback to claim the Washington Open title, defeating Spain’s Alejandro Davidovich Fokina in a dramatic 5-7, 6-1, 7-6(3) final. The ATP 500 event, held at the William H.G. FitzGerald Tennis Centre, saw the 26-year-old seventh seed save three match points while trailing 5-4 in the third set, defying the odds to secure his 10th career title. The victory, which unfolded over three grueling hours, propelled De Minaur back into the ATP top 10, while Davidovich Fokina, despite the loss, celebrated a career-high ranking of No. 19.
The match began with both players showcasing their tenacity, trading breaks in a tightly contested first set. Davidovich Fokina, the 12th seed, seized control with a crucial break in the 11th game, unleashing a series of blistering forehand winners to clinch the set 7-5 after over an hour of play. De Minaur, however, roared back in the second set, finding his rhythm and capitalizing on two of four break-point opportunities. With an ace to seal the set 6-1 in just over 30 minutes, the Australian leveled the contest, setting the stage for a thrilling decider.
The third set was a rollercoaster of momentum shifts. Davidovich Fokina, chasing his first ATP title after three final losses in 2025, broke De Minaur’s serve to lead 4-1 and later 5-2. Serving for the match at 5-3 and up 30-0, the Spaniard seemed poised to claim victory. But De Minaur’s trademark grit shone through. He clawed back with four consecutive points, including a desperate lob that landed just 16 millimeters inside the sideline, to break back and keep his hopes alive. “I just kind of knew I could do it,” De Minaur said post-match, reflecting on his mindset. “I just backed myself to commit no matter what, and if I lost this match, it was going to be on my terms.”
The drama intensified as Davidovich Fokina earned three match points on De Minaur’s serve at 5-4. Yet, the Australian’s relentless defense and mental fortitude prevailed, surviving a 10-minute game that featured six deuces to hold serve and level the score at 5-5. In the tiebreak, De Minaur surged to a 4-2 lead, capitalizing on unforced errors from his opponent to close out the match 7-3 with a final ace. The crowd erupted as De Minaur launched a ball into the stands and let out a primal scream, a fitting celebration for a victory that echoed his 2018 Washington run, where he saved four match points against Andrey Rublev but fell to Alexander Zverev in the final. “It’s something about this court,” he said. “I came here in 2018 and it gave me so much confidence, so I’m so happy that I was able to come back and end up winning the title.”
For Davidovich Fokina, the loss was a heartbreaking echo of earlier defeats in Delray Beach and Acapulco this season, where he also squandered match points. Visibly devastated, he buried his face in a towel after the match, but De Minaur’s sportsmanship shone through as he sat beside his opponent, offering words of encouragement. “Alejandro, you’re way too good not to have one of these; it’s coming for sure,” De Minaur said during the trophy ceremony, gesturing to the title. “You deserved it today, I just got lucky. You are a hell of a competitor, hell of a player. No one on the tour wants to play you.” Davidovich Fokina, gracious in defeat, acknowledged De Minaur’s fight: “He deserved the win. He was fighting for every ball. He always pushed me to my limits.”
The victory marked De Minaur’s eighth hard-court title and his third at the ATP 500 level, reinforcing his status as a top contender ahead of the US Open. His 35 match wins in 2025 place him among the ATP’s elite, alongside Davidovich Fokina’s 32 victories. The Spaniard, buoyed by his run that included a stunning upset over top seed Taylor Fritz, took solace in his rise to the top 20. “We had a job to do before we started the year, to be in the top 20,” he said. “This week we did it, just not with the trophy.”
De Minaur’s triumph, celebrated with a Cole Palmer/Morgan Rogers-inspired gesture, was a testament to his unrelenting spirit. “I’m very happy with where I am at the moment, how I’m dealing with things on and off the court,” he said, crediting his mindset for carrying him through. As the tennis world turns its eyes to the Canadian Open, De Minaur’s Washington heroics signal he’s ready to break new barriers, while Davidovich Fokina’s time for a maiden title feels tantalizingly close.
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