De Minaur passed a stiff opening test, and the Rotterdam chase feels very much alive.
Top seed Alex de Minaur overcame heavy-hitting Arthur Fils in straight sets on Tuesday, reminding the field that after two runner-up finishes he is still the man to beat at the ABN AMRO Open.
De Minaur Survives Fils, Sets Course For Crown
“It was never going to be easy. I told myself I was ready for a battle, up for the challenge, and excited for it,” I haven’t had too many easy matches this year and I’m looking at this as a challenge, which I’m enjoying. It pushes me to be ready from the first point.
Alex de Minaur
De Minaur closed out the match 7-6(3), 6-2, showing the composure that made him top seed in Rotterdam this week and earning a deserved round-two spot without burning too much energy.
The victory was a reminder of his consistency on indoor hard courts after back-to-back finals in 2024 and 2025, and it keeps alive the tantalizing question of whether this will finally be the year he lifts the Rotterdam trophy.
Draw Dynamics: Who Could Block De Minaur’s Path?
De Minaur now awaits either Aleksandar Vukic or three-time Grand Slam winner Stan Wawrinka, who is playing his final season on Tour and could offer a headline-generating clash for fans and broadcasters alike.
The draw stacks interesting matchups in both halves, with Daniil Medvedev, Felix Auger-Aliassime and Alexander Bublik all inside the seeded pack and capable of deep runs that would complicate De Minaur’s route to the title.
On the ATP 500 leaderboard since the start of the 2023 season, De Minaur tops the list with 49 wins, followed by Carlos Alcaraz on 44, Jannik Sinner on 43, Alexander Zverev on 43 and Daniil Medvedev on 42.
Other Matches That Matter In Rotterdam
Seventh seed Tallon Griekspoor kept the Dutch crowd smiling with a classy 6-4, 6-4 victory over Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard, notching his 11th Rotterdam win and tying Tom Okker for the fourth-most among Dutchmen in tournament history.
Griekspoor was steady under pressure, saving all six break points he faced according to Infosys ATP Stats, and he dispatched opponents while tossing down 10 aces to maintain control of his service games.
Frenchman Quentin Halys rallied past 18-year-old home hope Mees Rottgering 3-6, 6-1, 6-1 in one hour, 54 minutes, setting up a tough second-round match against Griekspoor and keeping the local interest firmly engaged.
Jan-Lennard Struff produced a statement 6-0, 6-4 win over Hugo Grenier in just 64 minutes to improve to 2-0 in their Lexus ATP Head2Head series, and the German now eyes a meeting with Hubert Hurkacz or Alexander Bublik next.
The opening slate is full of first-round lines worth watching: Medvedev opens against Ugo Humbert, Bublik faces Hurkacz, Auger-Aliassime meets Alexei Popyrin and Stefanos Tsitsipas is in the top half and ready to test his form against Arthur Rinderknech.
Beyond individual matches, the tournament mixes established champions like Medvedev and Auger-Aliassime with rising talents including Arthur Fils, who is continuing his comeback after an eight-month back injury and showing encouraging signs in Rotterdam.
History and form collide at the ABN AMRO Open, where past champions and local favourites meet hungry challengers, and where De Minaur’s rhythmic baseline game could finally turn past near-misses into a breakthrough title.
Expect a week of tight indoor conditions that reward movement and balance, factors that play to De Minaur’s strengths and which make every close set feel like a small final before the actual one arrives later in the week.
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Christoph Friedrich is a German tennis player and coach currently residing in Oakland, California. He began his tennis journey at the age of eight and has since dedicated his life to the sport. After working as a tennis coach and hitting partner in New York City for eight years, Christoph decided to share his knowledge and experience with tennis players around the world by creating the My Tennis Expert blog. His goal is to make tennis education accessible to everyone and help players select the best equipment for their game, from racquets and strings to shoes and overgrips. Christoph's extensive research and expertise in tennis technology make him a valuable resource for players of all levels.
