Alex De Minaur Suffers Shocking French Open Defeat to Alexander Bublik
Australian tennis star Alex De Minaur has been knocked out of the French Open in a stunning upset, succumbing to a five-set defeat at the hands of Alexander Bublik. The world No. 9 was left reeling after his 2-6, 2-6, 6-4, 6-3, 6-2 loss, which has sent shockwaves through the tournament.
According to The Guardian, De Minaur was visibly distraught after the match, citing mental fatigue and burnout as contributing factors to his downfall. "There’s no excuse for myself, what happened today. I need to look at myself in the mirror and find out the reason, because ultimately this isn’t going to change. I have to adapt and make sure it doesn’t happen again," he said in a post-match interview with The Guardian.
This early exit marks a significant upset for De Minaur, who had been enjoying a strong clay-court season and was looking to build on his breakthrough quarter-final appearance last year. As The Guardian reports, the 26-year-old Sydneysider has played 38 matches already this year, and it’s clear that the toll is beginning to take its effect. "Obviously have to have a hard chat with the team and analyse everything that’s been happening, kind of find a reason of why this happened," De Minaur stated.
De Minaur’s loss was a wildly entertaining affair, with Bublik producing some out-of-the-box brilliance to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat. As noted by The Guardian, the Kazakh player’s unorthodox style seemed to throw De Minaur off guard, particularly in the latter stages of the match. "No illness, no injury. Look, I’m just tired. I’m tired mentally. I’m a little bit burnt out, if anything," De Minaur explained.
The defeat also highlights concerns about the demanding schedule of the ATP tour, with De Minaur echoing complaints from compatriot Jordan Thompson earlier in the week. As The Guardian quotes, De Minaur believes there is "too much tennis" and that the ATP needs to consider a shorter schedule.
Despite the crushing blow, De Minaur remained philosophical about his loss, acknowledging that it was a "miracle" in the sense that he was not known for such capitulations. As The Guardian reports, he added, "In a way, the good thing is that today is something like a miracle, in the sense that I’m not known for these types of performances. I’m probably known for the opposite, which is just being consistent and not losing really matches that I shouldn’t be losing."
In related news, Jack Draper overcame a raucous French Open crowd to beat home hero Monfils, while Coco Gauff called for more night sessions for women’s matches at the tournament.
The French Open continues, with Daria Kasatkina setting up a third-round blockbuster date with Spanish No 10 seed Paula Badosa after a 6-4, 6-2 win over French wildcard Leolia Jeanjean. Meanwhile, Alexei Popyrin is the only Australian left in the men’s draw after Brisbane’s Adam Walton bowed out to No 17 seed Andrey Rublev.
The Guardian understands that De Minaur will be taking time to reflect on his loss and regroup with his team in preparation for the next challenge. For now, it’s a case of back to the drawing board for the Australian tennis star.
The Guardian has provided comprehensive coverage of the French Open, bringing you all the latest updates, scores, and analysis from Roland Garros. For further reading, see:
https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2025/may/29/jack-draper-overcomes-raucous-french-open-crowd-beat-home-hero-gael-monfils-tennis and
https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2025/may/29/coco-gauff-french-open-night-matches
