Fans have now revealed Alex de Minaur’s Grand Slam Dream collapses, as the ascent of rivals Alcaraz and Sinner threatens to undermine his self-assurance and his plans to continue playing because of…
Alex de Minaur wrapped up the season inside the top-7, wrapping up his second consecutive year-end top-20 campaign. Alex’s current position is a proof of his steady rise into the sport’s elite.
Yet despite the breakthrough, the Aussie continues to approach his future with a mix of ambition and realism, especially when the conversation turns to the biggest prizes in tennis.
For de Minaur, winning a Major remains the ultimate dream. However, the Sydney native understands that such titles sit in a space where talent alone is not enough.
With Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner entrenched at the top, and with the gap widening with every season, Alex understands that some outcomes lie beyond even his best planning or preparation.
Instead, he has chosen to focus on the elements he can control. De Minaur is eager to focus on daily improvements, the attitude he brings to work and the effort he invests in every match.
At 26, the Sydney native owns ten ATP titles. His only notable final came in Canada two years ago, when he lost to Jannik Sinner. De Minaur has become increasingly open about the need to acknowledge the “small victories” along the way.
Alex loves the strides he makes in pressure moments, the consistency that keeps him inside the top tier. There’s also a resilience shown during a demanding calendar.
De Minaur wants to remain driven, but also kinder to himself when he looks back at his achievements. He recognizes that fulfillment in a career goes beyond trophies.
His Major dream lives on, but so does his commitment to perspective. Alex will make another push on the most demanding stage in front of the home fans in Melbourne in January.
“Sometimes it’s never enough, right? For me, the most important thing is to use everything as motivation to win a Grand Slam. Obviously, it’s a huge dream, but at the same time, you have to accept that some things might happen, while others will not.
Ultimately, my goal is to be happy with what I have done in my career, and that comes down to what I can control. Winning a Major is beyond my control; improving and having the right attitude and effort is not.
At the same time, I have to give myself a pat on the back every now and then. It’s all about the small victories. I have to be kinder to myself,” Alex de Minaur said.
READ ALSO…
The five ATP players who had the biggest prize money rise percentage in 2025 season
While Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner took home the most prize money in 2025, the cheques can mean more to some players than others when considering how their previous career has gone.
Prize money in tennis is always a big talking point, but the reality is that a big payday will be felt more keenly by some than others. As an example, the $5,140,175 Novak Djokovic took home in 2025 accounts for just 2.69% of his career earnings, while one player on the tour almost doubled his prize pot.
Here are the top five prize money winners on the ATP tour as per the amount it increased their overall total by:
5. Carlos Alcaraz – 32.71%
The man who ended world No.1 had already earned just shy of $40m before the 2025 season, but his remarkable year saw him add $18,803,427 to his tally.
That figure, which was made up of $5,000,000 from the US Open and €2,550,000 from the French Open, saw his tally rise by 32.71%, the fifth highest of any player in the top 10.
4. Jannik Sinner – 33.76%
It is proving increasingly difficult to separate Alcaraz and Sinner and even in this ranking, they are side by side.
While Alcaraz’s bank balance went up by 32.71%, Sinner’s 2025 was just marginally better at 33.76%.
The Italian earned the most of any player on the tour at $19,120,641 with his biggest win coming during the ATP Finals which earned him $5,071,000, a record payout in the men’s game.
Wins at Wimbledon and Melbourne also contributed, as did runner-up finishes at the French and US Open. Away from the Slams, Sinner won the China Open, Vienna Open, and Paris Masters as part of an incredible year.
3. Lorenzo Musetti – 38.29%
It was a titleless year for Musetti but it was a consistent one nonetheless, with the Italian performing particularly well during the clay season.
He reached the final in Monte Carlo along with the semis in Madrid, Rome and Roland Garros.
A final payout of $727,500 for the ATP Finals took him to $4,852,243 for the year which increased his overall tally by 38.29%.
MORE ON T365
The longest WTA Tour winning streaks of 2025 revealed: Aryna Sabalenka beaten to top spot
Comparing Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner’s longest win streaks of 2025
2. Jack Draper – 40.82%
Draper just squeezed into the top 10 earners this year due to an injury-disrupted second half of the season but it was still enough to see his prize money total rise by 40.82%.
The bulk of that came from Indian Wells with the Briton picking up $1,201,125 for his first ATP 1000 title.
He also reached the final of the Madrid Open and the fourth round in both Melbourne and Roland Garros, earning him a total of $3,446,994 and moving his career earnings up to $8,443,805.
1. Ben Shelton – 46.21%
The man whose bank balance increased the most in terms of percentage was Ben Shelton, who enjoyed a year of firsts in 2025.
A first semi-final at the Australian Open kicked off a year which also saw him reach the quarters of Wimbledon and the fourth round of the French Open.
Away from the Slams, Shelton won his first ATP 1000 event at the Canadian Open, a run that saw him awarded $1,124,380 along with the trophy.
In total, the 23-year-old American pocketed $4,745,259, which increased his career earnings by 46.21%.
Read next: Which country produces the most and best ATP players on the tour?
Leave a Reply