De Minaur Celebrates Birthday with 200th Career Win in Doha

DOHA, Qatar — Alex de Minaur celebrated his 26th birthday in style on Tuesday by notching his 200th hard-court victory at the ATP Qatar Open. The Australian second seed advanced to the Round of 16 after defeating Roman Safiullin 6-1, 7-5, despite some late resistance from his opponent.

De Minaur’s win marked his 12th of the 2025 season, as he continues to dominate on the tour with a 12-2 record. “These are tough days,” said De Minaur regarding the windy conditions during the match. “It’s cold, you probably don’t want to get out of bed. But once you step on the court, you just have to do everything you can to win.”

In the first set, De Minaur neutralized Safiullin’s aggressive style, dominating the play and taking the lead. However, the second set proved challenging as Safiullin broke back late, allowing him to level at 5-5. De Minaur regained his composure, breaking back to serve out the match.

“The wind made it difficult to feel comfortable on court. Out went any sort of tactics you had for the match, and it was all about surviving more than anything,” De Minaur added. His performance was highlighted by a 15-shot rally in which he showcased his finesse with a crafty volley.

This victory not only reiterated De Minaur’s determined spirit but showcased his expertise at the ATP 500 events, where he has now claimed 34 victories since the start of the 2023 season. In the next round, he will face qualifier Luca Van Assche, who defeated wild card Radu Albot 7-5, 6-3.

In other matches at the Qatar Open, former champion Daniil Medvedev advanced by defeating compatriot and defending champion Karen Khachanov 4-6, 7-5, 6-3. Medvedev’s winning performance marked his first victory over a top-30 player this year and improved his record to 5-0 in Doha.

Medvedev spoke about the significance of the win, noting, “I am just happy to get the win and to put myself in a good spot for the next round. It was a tough match, but I endured.” He will face another opponent as he aims to reclaim the title he won last year.

Meanwhile, Andrey Rublev also progressed, defeating Alexander Bublik with a score of 6-3, 6-4, setting the stage for an exciting tournament moving forward. As the competition heats up in Doha, all eyes will be on the athletes vying for title supremacy at this prestigious ATP event.