Hoping to reach his third-straight final in Rotterdam, No.1 seed Alex de Minaur passed his first challenge with flying colours on Wednesday morning, defeating Arthur Fils 7-6(3) 6-2.
In a brutal first-round matchup for De Minaur, the world No.42 Fils.– who was ranked No.14 at Roland Garros 2025 before injury plagued his season –threw everything at the Australian. However, as he has already done on numerous occasions in 2026, De Minaur weathered the storm.
The world No.8 won the last five points of the first-set tiebreak before claiming the second set 6-2 in 33 minutes to advance.
“It was never going to be easy. I told myself I was ready for a battle, up for the challenge, and excited for it,” De Minaur told ATPTour.com.
“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.”
> AUSSIE WATCH: De Minaur seeks Rotterdam redemption
The Australian No.1’s first-round victory in Rotterdam highlights his continuing dominance on the ATP Tour, particularly on hard courts. Recording the most ATP hardcourt wins in 2025 with 43, De Minaur is building a case to lead this statistic once again.
Wednesday’s triumph marks his sixth win from eight matches to begin this season, only losing to Casper Ruud at United Cup and eventual champion Carlos Alcaraz in the Australian Open quarterfinals. He is currently two wins behind Alexander Bublik, Jakub Mensik, Sebastian Baez, and Daniil Medvedev, who have recorded the most.
The key to De Minaur’s top-10 ascent over the past few seasons has been his ability to consistently make deep runs at tournaments. With his win over Fils, the world No.8 claimed his 49th ATP 500 victory since the beginning of 2023, more than any player on Tour.
He will aim for his 50th win in the second round against either compatriot Aleksandar Vukic or Stan Wawrinka, who will play their first-round match on Wednesday night.
Save over 60% off a 12-month subscription and have access to the ATP, WTA, Australian Pro Tour & Junior Nationals with beIN SPORTS