Alex de Minaur fires warning shot ahead of Australian Open

Alex de Minaur won the UTS Grand Final in London on Monday morning (AEDT), firing a warning shot ahead of the Australian Open next month with a straight-quarters win over Holger Rune, 14-8, 14-11, 16-10.

The title is de Minaur’s second in the format — designed to be an abbreviated, faster-paced version of traditional tennis — with the Australian going unbeaten across all five matches in London.

He bags more than A$1.2 million for his troubles and was thrilled with his performance.

“It was a perfect weekend here in London,” de Minaur said.

“I couldn’t have asked for anything better.

“I played some great tennis, every match was tough, was physical, and came out on top, so extremely happy with the performance.”

The title means de Minaur finds some handy form heading into the 2025 Australian Open in a month’s time, which is the only major where de Minaur has yet to make the quarter-finals.

Tennis bookmakers have him on the 17th line of betting at $51 to win the title in Melbourne.

De Minaur had beaten Rune earlier on in the round-robin stage of the UTS Grand Final, and Monday’s match followed a similar pattern.

The Aussie leaned on his superior speed and fitness to wear Rune down, winning the majority of longer rallies over the course of the match.

“I just worked hard,” he said.

“I’m in the middle of my pre-season, so it felt like I was feeling good physically in those extended rallies.

“I think that was something that helped me in the end against my opponents.”

Rune praised de Minaur for his victory and credited the tournament’s unique format for his success.

“This format is almost built for him really,” he said.

“The serve doesn’t play a big role, so we kind of have to rally for each point, which is excellent for him because he’s one of the best out there from the baseline.

“Plus, when it comes to stamina and cardio, he’s also one of the best, so it’s a really, really big challenge.

“It was tough against Alex. I did my best, but credit to him, he deserved it.

“It was a good experience, I got everything I wanted out of this week.

“A lot of good tennis, a lot of good cardio, seeing where my match level is. Feeling good.”

Rune is a $41 chance in the Australian Open title odds at Bet365, which puts him on the eighth line of betting.

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