Alex de Minaur’s promising run to the Canadian Open final has fallen just short after losing to Italy’s Jannik Sinner.
The Australian was outplayed by the seventh-seed, losing in straight sets.
Both players were aiming for their first Masters title, which is the most prestigious ATP tournament behind the grand slams.
Sinner dominated the game, making him the youngest champion at the tournament since Alexander Zverev won as a 20-year-old in 2017.
While Sinner now climbs to number six in the world, de Minaur will reach a new career-high ranking of 12th, which is a huge confidence boost ahead of the US Open starting in two weeks.
This ranking is the highest an Aussie has been since Nick Kyrgios in 2017.
Despite the heavy loss, de Minaur was gracious in defeat.
“I’d like to congratulate Jannik. You and your team deserve it,” he said during the trophy presentations.
“The way you carry yourself on court and off court, I’ve got tremendous respect for you.”
Post-match, de Minaur was happy with his overall performance and was confident that he’d be back on the big stage again.
“It was a breakthrough week for me. I had a nice week here in Toronto,” he said.
“I played some great tennis, and it gave me a taste of it. I will be back.”
Photo: Alex de Minaur by JC available HERE and used under a Creative Commons license. This image has not been modified.
