Alexander Zverev experienced his first defeat following his ascent to the men’s world number one ranking when he lost to Australian fifth seed Alex de Minaur in the Vienna Open semi-finals. The German top seed fell 4-6 6-1 6-7 in a match lasting just over two hours and 30 minutes. Zverev is scheduled to officially assume the top ranking on Monday, replacing Jannik Sinner.
De Minaur’s victory proved decisive in the third set, where neither competitor managed to generate break point opportunities. The Australian competitor ultimately prevailed in the ensuing tie-break to secure the win. Following the match, De Minaur expressed satisfaction with his performance, stating he played according to his preferred style and strategy. The 27-year-old’s triumph has positioned him favorably in the race to secure qualification for the season-ending ATP Finals, allowing him to leapfrog Spain’s Rafael Jodar in the standings.
De Minaur will next face Spanish second seed Carlos Alcaraz in the final. Alcaraz advanced to the championship match by defeating Russian third seed Daniil Medvedev in straight sets, securing a 6-4 7-6 score. The seven-time Grand Slam champion’s victory extended his unbeaten streak at ATP 500 events to 25 matches, with his most recent loss at that level occurring at the Barcelona Open in April 2025. This represents Alcaraz’s fifth final appearance of the year, while De Minaur will compete in his fourth final of the year, having captured his sole title thus far at the Rotterdam Open in February.
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