Alex de Minaur will look to defend his Washington Open title later this month.
De Minaur won last year’s title in dramatic fashion, saving multiple championship points before beating Alejandro Davidovich Fokina 5-7, 6-1, 7-6.
It was the Australian’s 10th ATP Tour title and his one and only tournament victory of 2025.
Will Alex de Minaur finish 2026 ranked inside the top five?
De Minaur now has the opportunity to win two consecutive Washington Open titles – something only four other men have achieved in tournament history.
The four men who have defended their Washington Open title
The Washington Open Men’s Singles event was first held in 1969 and won by Brazilian Thomaz Koch.
Since then, only four players have managed to defend their title in the American capital.
The first was Andre Agassi, who won titles in 1990 and 1991.
Agassi went on to become the most successful man in tournament history, winning three more titles in 1995, 1998 and 1999.
Between Agassi’s third and fourth triumphs, Michael Chang won back-to-back titles in Washington.
Chang, the 1989 Roland Garros champion, beat Stefan Edberg in the 1996 final and Petr Korda in the 1997 showpiece event.
Juan Martin del Potro became the third man to defend the Washington title when he triumphed in 2008 and 2009.
Del Potro went on to claim his one and only Grand Slam title later in 2009 after beating Roger Federer in the US Open final.
Alexander Zverev is the most recent individual to win consecutive titles in Washington.
Zverev, the new Roland Garros champion, won back-to-back titles in 2017 and 2018.
- Andre Agassi [1990-91 and 1998-99]
- Michael Chang [1996-97]
- Juan Martin del Potro [2008-09]
- Alexander Zverev [2017-18]
How did Alex de Minaur react after winning the 2025 Washington Open?
“It’s something about this court,” De Minaur said of saving match points during the 2025 final, as per the ATP. “I did it in 2018 against Rublev and honestly, I just kind of knew I could do it.
“I just backed myself and I told myself to commit no matter what and if I lost this match it was going to be on my terms.
“Today it went my way. I’ve had a couple of brutal ones not go my way, so I’m glad this one went my way.”
De Minaur went on to reach quarter-finals in Canada, lose his opening round in Cincinnati, and qualify for the US Open quarter-finals.
