Alex de Minaur Eliminated in Second Round at Roland Garros
Australian tennis star Alex de Minaur has been eliminated in the second round at Roland Garros, falling to Kazakhstan’s Alexander Bublik in a thrilling five-set match. According to reports from Nine.com.au, de Minaur, the top-ranked Australian player and ninth seed, was sent packing with a 2-6, 2-6, 6-4, 6-3, 6-3 defeat.
The match got off to a promising start for de Minaur, with the 26-year-old taking the first two sets in convincing fashion. However, Bublik began to gain momentum in the third set, becoming increasingly aggressive and taking control of the match. Despite his best efforts, de Minaur was unable to recover, ultimately succumbing to Bublik’s resurgence.
This upset victory marks the third time in Bublik’s career that he has come from two sets to love down at a slam to win, as noted by Brenton Speed on Nine.com.au. "A monumental turnaround – for the third time in his career, Bublik comes from two sets to love down at a slam to win and the Demon is out," Speed said. "The showman delivers a show stopper."
The loss comes as a significant blow for de Minaur, who is still searching for his first grand slam semi-final appearance. In his career to date, the Sydney product has never reached the semi-finals of a major, and this early exit will undoubtedly be a disappointment.
Fellow Australian player Thanasi Kokkinakis offered his thoughts on the match, suggesting that Bublik’s increased aggression in the third set caught de Minaur off guard. "This one definitely caught me by surprise, especially the way the first two sets went," Kokkinakis said. "Bublik came out in the third set and was super aggressive – Demon didn’t really know how to handle it."
Tennis analyst Jelena Dokic also weighed in on the match, highlighting de Minaur’s struggles with his serve. Dokic noted that de Minaur’s first-serve percentage was under 50 per cent for the match, compared to Bublik’s 61 per cent. "The only thing that I think could have helped him was the serve," Dokic said. "His first-serve percentage was always under 50 per cent … that really hurt him. There was so much firepower coming that he couldn’t really do anything."
The defeat marks another major setback for de Minaur, who will be looking to regroup and refocus ahead of his next tournament. Meanwhile, Bublik will advance to the third round of the French Open, where he will look to continue his momentum.
For those who missed the action, watch all the action from Roland Garros 2025 live & on-demand on Stan Sport, with two courts in 4K UHD. Coverage of select matches is also available free-to-air on 9GemHD and streaming on 9Now.
