Australian tennis star Alex De Minaur has opened his 2021 season in style, winning his fourth ATP title at the Antalya Open in Turkey.
De Minaur was leading Alexander Bublik 2-0 in Wednesday’s final when the Kazakh retired injured just seven minutes into the match.
The 21-year-old world No.23 dropped only one set for the week in a promising build-up to next month’s rescheduled Australian Open in Melbourne.
De Minaur missed his home grand slam last year in shattering fashion, an abdominal strain forcing him out of the Open following an heroic ATP Cup campaign for Australia.
The COVID-19 pandemic then further stalled his progression, following a breakout three-title season in 2019, placing the Davis Cup star in long-time lockdown at his base in Spain.
But the fleet-footed baseliner, now the youngest player in the world’s top 25, came back with a vengeance when the Tour resumed.
De Minaur made a career-best charge to the US Open quarter-finals, upstaging a succession of heavy hitters en route to the last eight, then reached the final in Antwerp to finish ahead of Nick Kyrgios as Australia’s season-ending No.1 for the second straight year.
Now he’s up and running once again in 2021.