Alex de Minaur lost his opening match in Rome, 6-4, 6-7, 4-6.
The Aussie led Matteo Arnaldi by a set to love, but couldn’t maintain the advantage, falling to a third consecutive ATP Tour defeat.
Where will Alex de Minaur be ranked by the end of 2026?
He's 1-4 in his last five matches…
Since reaching the quarter-finals in Monte Carlo, De Minaur has only won one match on clay, at the Barcelona Open.
Such poor form has many worried about the 27-year-old, although there is no reason to panic just yet.
Alex de Minaur can still rescue his clay-court season
De Minaur has struggled on clay this year compared to 2025.
Alex de Minaur’s clay-court results (2025)
- Monte Carlo Masters – SF (400 points)
- Barcelona Open – QF (100 points)
- Madrid Open – 4R (100 points)
- Italian Open – 4R (100 points)
- Total – 700 points
Alex de Minaur’s clay-court results (2026)
- Monte Carlo Masters – QF (200 points)
- Barcelona Open – 2R (50 points)
- Madrid Open – 2R (30 points)
- Italian Open – 2R (30 points)
- Total – 310 points
He does, however, still have a chance to turn his clay-court season around.
De Minaur underperformed at the 2025 French Open, losing in the second round to Alexander Bublik.
Therefore, the Aussie only has 50 points to defend in Paris this year.
If De Minaur can reach the quarter-finals of the French Open, something he’s done before, he’ll have earned more points on clay than he did last year.
It’s far too early to count De Minaur out, as he remains one of the best players in the men’s game.
He’s a top 10 player and, more importantly, sits inside the top eight in the ‘Live ATP Race’.
Live ATP Rankings
| Rank | Name | Country | Points |
| 1 | Jannik Sinner | Italy | 13,710 |
| 2 | Carlos Alcaraz | Spain | 11,960 |
| 3 | Alexander Zverev | Germany | 5,615 |
| 4 | Novak Djokovic | Serbia | 4,710 |
| 5 | Felix Auger-Aliassime | Canada | 4,060 |
| 6 | Ben Shelton | USA | 4,030 |
| 7 | Taylor Fritz | USA | 3,770 |
| 8 | Alex de Minaur | Australia | 3,665 |
| 9 | Daniil Medvedev | Russia | 3,370 |
| 10 | Alexander Bublik | Kazakhstan | 3,190 |
Live ATP Race
| Rank | Name | Country | 2026 Points |
| 1 | Jannik Sinner | Italy | 4,910 |
| 2 | Carlos Alcaraz | Spain | 3,650 |
| 3 | Alexander Zverev | Germany | 2,950 |
| 4 | Arthur Fils | France | 1,890 |
| 5 | Daniil Medvedev | Russia | 1,820 |
| 6 | Ben Shelton | USA | 1,580 |
| 7 | Novak Djokovic | Serbia | 1,410 |
| 8 | Alex de Minaur | Australia | 1,315 |
| 9 | Flavio Cobolli | Italy | 1,280 |
| 10 | Felix Auger-Aliassime | Canada | 1,225 |
In ‘crisis’, De Minaur is still on course to qualify for the ATP Finals.
That’s not bad going!
Now, he will of course need to up his level if he is to make the trip to Turin in November, but for now, there is no reason to panic.
A good French Open run, and everyone will have forgotten about this rough patch.
Could Alex de Minaur play another tournament before the French Open?
De Minaur has only played seven matches on clay this year.
In comparison, the French Open favourite, Jannik Sinner, has played 11, and he hasn’t even started his Italian Open campaign yet.
If the Aussie wants a bit more match practice before Roland Garros starts, he could ask for a last-minute wild card into either the Hamburg Open or Geneva Open.
The Hamburg Open ATP 500 event will feature several top-10 players, including Alexander Zverev and Ben Shelton.
Hamburg Open top-eight seeds
- 1. Alexander Zverev
- 2. Felix Auger-Aliassime
- 3. Ben Shelton
- 4. Lorenzo Musetti
- 5. Flavio Cobollo
- 6. Jiri Lehecka
- 7. Karen Khachanov
- 8. Valentin Vacherot
De Minaur could test himself against some more elite opposition, but risks suffering another early exit if the draw works against him.
Instead, he could choose to travel to Switzerland, for the Geneva Open.
Competing in a weaker field, De Minaur would have a better chance of returning to winning ways, perhaps giving him the confidence he needs to perform in the French capital.
Geneva Open top-eight seeds
- 1. Taylor Fritz
- 2. Alexander Bublik
- 3. Cameron Norrie
- 4. Learner Tien
- 5. Arthur Rinderknech
- 6. Casper Ruud
- 7. Alejandro Tabilo
- 8. Alex Michelsen
Only time will tell if De Minaur will play again before the French Open begins, but it’s certainly something to think about.
The 2026 French Open begins on Sunday, May 24.
