De Minaur efficiency sinks Humbert as top seed reaches third consecutive Rotterdam Final
Alex De Minaur beat Ugo Humbert 6-4, 6-3 on Saturday afternoon and will face the winner of the match between Kazakh Alexander Bublik, the No 3 seed, and Canadian Felix Auger-Aliassime, the second seed, in the final
Alex de Minaur, Rotterdam 2026 | © Imago / PsNewz
Top-seeded Alex de Minaur continued his relentless pursuit of the ABN AMRO Open title on Saturday, delivering a clinical performance to defeat Frenchman Ugo Humbert 6-4, 6-3. The victory secures the Australian’s third consecutive final appearance in Rotterdam, a premiere and a remarkable feat of consistency following his runner-up finishes to Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz in the previous two editions.
The Aussie has notched an impressive 10-2 record to start 2026 while securing a spot in his 20th career ATP final.
“I’m super proud of the efforts”, De Minaur said during the on-court interview. “Today there were a lot of tough moments. A lot of break points. A lot of tricky situations. But I managed to kind of dig myself out of them. Super pumped to be here in another final and giving myself another chance of hopefully getting the title.”
While the straight-sets scoreline suggests a comfortable afternoon for the World No. 8, the match was a fascinating study in statistical contrast and high-pressure execution. The contest was defined by three critical moments of opportunism: De Minaur secured early breaks in the third game of the first set and the opening game of the second, before a final break in the closing game sealed the result. In total, De Minaur converted an impressive 3 out of 4 break point opportunities.
+2 points for De Minaur
In stark contrast, Ugo Humbert found himself both agonizingly close and frustratingly far from a breakthrough. The Frenchman played high-octane tennis that often put the top seed under immense pressure, yet he failed to capitalize when it mattered most. Humbert finished the match with a staggering 0-for-10 record on break point chances, on 4 different gales.
The fine margins of the encounter were further highlighted by the total points won: De Minaur edged the tally with 65 points (including 41 unforced errors by Humbert) to Humbert’s 63. While the Frenchman matched the Australian in volume, De Minaur owned the big points.
The defeat ends a spirited run for Humbert, ranked No. 36, who had previously claimed the scalp of fourth seed Daniil Medvedev. For De Minaur, the win adds to a resume this week that includes victories over Botic van de Zandschulp, Stan Wawrinka, and Arthur Fils.
The Australian now awaits the winner of the second semifinal between second seed Felix Auger-Aliassime and third seed Alexander Bublik. Having fallen just short against the world’s elite in the last two finals here, the “Demon” appears more determined than ever to finally lift the trophy in the Netherlands.
