🔗 Share this article {'Mentally it's killing me': De Minaur on brink of ATP Finals elimination after final set meltdown Alex de Minaur's aspirations of reaching the ATP Finals semi-finals are hanging by a thread after a gut-wrenching three-set loss to Italian opponent Lorenzo Musetti. Crushing Defeat in Turin The seventh-ranked player succumbed 7-5 3-6 7-5 after being unable to close out the match, allowing the Italian to remain in the event and now leaving the Australian needing to convincingly beat Taylor Fritz in his third and final group match to qualify for the semi-finals. Psychological Challenges Threaten Career But confronting Fritz in two days' time is the smallest of de Minaur's immediate concerns as the Sydneysider admits he must confront the mental demons that threaten to cruel his career. A loser of all six of his major tournament quarter-final appearances, the 26-year-old was unable to disguise his anguish after suffering yet another high-stakes near miss with his finals destiny in his own hands. "I don't know how many times I can handle a loss like this one," de Minaur said in Turin. "I must talk to my team and try to resolve these issues because these are issues that can't keep happening." Professional Turning Point "I mean, if I really want to be serious about taking the next step in my career, these contests, I can't lose them. I just can't. It feels like I've lost a lot of them this year. More than anything, it's reaching a point where psychologically it's killing me." Describing his emotions as "quite dark", de Minaur lamented a succession of third-set slip-ups in 2025 and said he must discover methods to win the close matches. Recent Disappointments The top-ranked Australian's streak of crushing losses comprise: Latest 6-3 4-6 7-6 (7-5) result against Alexander Bublik at the Paris Masters Closely-contested US Open quarter-final loss to Felix Auger-Aliassime Final four in Monte Carlo against Musetti Wasted two-set lead against Bublik at the French Open Defeated in a third-set tiebreaker to Andrey Rublev in the Doha semi-finals "I keep putting everything into these matches," de Minaur commented. "When the result's not there, it's difficult to keep pushing through." Immediate Solution Needed "This is an issue that if it doesn't get sorted, it's going to consume me completely. I need to get it sorted quickly rather than delayed." Forthcoming Test De Minaur and Fritz are 5-5 in previous encounters, though the sixth-ranked American won their meeting in this showpiece event last year. The Aussie's chances remain flickering after Fritz suffered a 6-7 (2-7) 7-5 6-3 loss to Carlos Alcaraz that ensured the Spaniard would progress to the semi-finals as the winner of the Jimmy Connors group. Championship Consequences The world No 2's victory, having already defeated de Minaur, put Alcaraz a single victory away of claiming the season-ending top ranking from Jannik Sinner. Even if he loses to Musetti in his last round-robin contest, Alcaraz will reclaim the world No 1 ranking unless Sinner, who defeated Auger-Aliassime in his first match on Monday, goes unbeaten to retain his ATP Finals title. "I will try not to think about it," said Alcaraz. "This will represent a extremely important match for me. I will try not to let the anxiety play a negative role in the match. I will think about my objectives, about performing much better than today."