Alex de Minaur Retires Injured in China Open Final

Alex de Minaur retired injured in the China Open final against Novak Djokovic after winning the opening game of the second set. The score at retirement was 6-7, 1-0 in favor of Djokovic.

De Minaur felt discomfort in his adductor midway through the end of the first set. The issue gradually worsened during the match. He stated he was not feeling anything before the final and felt quite good initially. The Australian does not yet know what the adductor issue is and needs more scans.

He plans to go to Shanghai for those scans. De Minaur apologized to fans and sent a message to Djokovic during the post-match ceremonies. In his runners-up speech, he congratulated Djokovic and his team. He said he did not want to finish the match that way. De Minaur thanked fans for their support and expressed hope to return next year.

"I felt something midway through the end of the first set," said de Minaur. "Yeah, it gradually got a little worse." He added, Yeah, I mean, everything except for the end was really positive. There was a lot of good tennis.

Season context and implications

This loss marks de Minaur's second final defeat of the season. He previously lost to Kamil Majchrzak at the Libema Open in June.

The result leaves him outside the qualification places in the Live ATP Race to Turin. De Minaur currently sits in 10th position, which becomes 9th following Jannik Sinner's withdrawal. Novak Djokovic is one spot ahead of him in that race.

De Minaur could jump back ahead of Djokovic at the upcoming Shanghai Masters if he competes and performs well. If he does not play again in China, he will need a strong end to the season on indoor hard courts to qualify for Turin.

Upcoming schedule and fitness plans

De Minaur is scheduled to play later this week at the Shanghai Masters. As a seeded player, he receives a bye into the second round. There he will face either Alex Molcan or Federico Cina.

He will not play on Wednesday, October 7 or Thursday, October 8. His match could be on Friday or Saturday. The intention to get a scan in Shanghai will limit his time for practice and acclimatisation before potentially competing.

De Minaur reached the Shanghai Masters quarter-finals last year. He lost that match to Daniil Medvedev. His immediate focus, however, is on assessing his injury. De Minaur plans to go to Shanghai to get scans for his injury.