Alex de Minaur appears to have made a key change which could bring him closer to Jannik Sinner in 2026.

Alex de Minaur’s 2025 season has been an intriguing one, enjoying great highs but enduring crushing lows too.

The key flashpoint came when the Australian admitted that he was suffering from overwhelming mental fatigue in May, noting: “I’m just tired…tired mentally.”

I’m a little bit burnt out, if anything,” he told the press following his gruelling five-set loss to Alexander Bublik. It marked a refreshing but sad admission from someone so famed for their work rate and intensity.

Fortunately, he appeared to shake off that feeling and finished the campaign strongly with a battling loss in the semifinals of the ATP Finals.

What will be frustrating for Alex de Minaur, though, about 2025, is the fact that it marks another year passing by where he has consistently been bested by Jannik Sinner.

Alex de Minaur’s mindset has changed throughout 2025
The Italian boasts a brutal 13-0 winning record against De Minaur, and inflicted that final loss of the year at the ATP Finals on his way to the title.

This capped off an incredible year for the former world number one, who actually started 2025 by beating De Minaur in his home country at the Australian Open.

After his loss in January, he admitted: “Tennis is so much about matchups, right? I think right now my worst matchup on Tour is probably Jannik. There’s a head-to-head that doesn’t lie. If I’m on a different side of the draw, different little section, then who knows?”

It almost felt like he felt his only chance of progression was if he avoided him in the draw.

However, after his ATP Finals loss, his reaction seemed far more inspirational: “Look, I played him many, many times. Even though a lot of people may not think so, I know how to beat him. It’s just not that easy to do, right (smiling)? You’ve got to hit the ball very hard, very flat, very deep and very close to the lines. It is something that I try to do, but it’s obviously not the easiest thing to do.”

Why Alex de Minaur can compete with Jannik Sinner next year
De Minaur may be a part of one of the more one-sided head-to-heads on the ATP Tour, but the progress he has made across the last 12 months has been evident.

Particularly in the first set of his ATP Finals loss to Sinner, he played with aggression and intent, pushing his opponent all the way.

Were it not for a loss of concentration, there was every chance De Minaur could have stolen that set and put himself in a great position to claim his first win over the 24-year-old.

The positive reaction, both personally and from supporters, should give him an indication that his tactic is far more likely to breed success than merely surviving against the very best players on tour.

With a renewed mindset, 2026 could be the year in which he gains his first big scalp over Sinner and soars to new heights.