Alex de Minaur has continued his fine form in Rotterdam, having battled through two terribly tough matches to reach the quarter-finals.
Arguably, the draw could hardly have been tougher to begin with, pitting the Australian against Arthur Fils, seeking to gain crucial minutes on court after his lengthy injury lay-off.
Lacking fitness or not, the Frenchman posed a dangerous prospect and came within touching distance of taking the first set before losing the tiebreak.
Then, after Alex de Minaur had downed Fils in straight sets, he faced Stan Wawrinka on the latest leg of his farewell tour.
Again, he managed to overcome the 40-year-old with minimal fuss and reserved special praise for him afterwards.
Alex de Minaur praises Stan Wawrinka after beating him in Rotterdam
Speaking to the press in Rotterdam, De Minaur was unsurprisingly effusive in his adulation for the three-time Grand Slam champion.
After all, he seeks to do exactly what this superstar veteran managed during his prime years, by breaking through the current dominance atop the men’s game to claim a coveted major title.
Will Alex de Minaur finish 2026 ranked inside the top five?
Referencing that ability, De Minaur stated: “The level he was able to produce was nothing short of incredible. To be able to win those Slams in the peak era of the Big Three, Big Four — and not because they were handed to him — he literally hit those guys off the court.
“I remember watching those matches and just laughing and smiling at the sheer power he was producing from both wings. He broke through when not a lot of people thought he was able to. And as I said, he’s been an incredible person off the court as well, so that makes him a special human being.”
Wawrinka has already reached a big milestone in his retirement year, less than two months into his final season on tour.
Stan Wawrinka still remains hugely competitive on tour
Despite being almost a decade older than almost every opponent he faces at the moment, Wawrinka remains fiercely competitive, whoever he plays.
His start to the 2026 season has certainly proven that, reaching the third round of the Australian Open and the Round of 16 in both Montpellier and Rotterdam.
He is not heading to these events to lose early and soak up praise from the crowd. He’s there to compete.
Stan Wawrinka or Andy Murray… who is the greater player? Let us know why below 👇
And compete he has thus far, recording everything from routine straight-sets victories to marathon five-set comeback wins too.
Even against stars like De Minaur, Taylor Fritz and Felix Auger-Aliassime, he has taken at least one set to a tiebreak, and even won one against the American.
Wawrinka, at 40 years old, continues to be a viable threat on the ATP Tour, more than justifying his inclusion at these elite events. His next tournament will be in Dubai later this month.
