Australian tennis star Alex de Minaur has finished his 2025 season in spectacular fashion, securing a massive financial windfall by successfully defending his title at the Ultimate Tennis Showdown (UTS) grand final in London.
A Lucrative Victory in London
The world number seven, affectionately known as 'Demon', defeated Norway's Casper Ruud in Sunday's final at the Copper Box Arena. This victory marks a successful defence of the title he won at the same venue last year, cementing his status as a master of the innovative UTS format.
The win earned de Minaur a staggering US$640,000, comprising a winner's cheque of US$390,000 and a US$250,000 bonus for participating in an earlier UTS event in France. This total equates to an impressive A$964,000 pre-Christmas bonus for the Australian number one.
Mastering the Fast-Paced Format
UTS, founded by coaching legend Patrick Mouratoglou and businessman Alex Popyrin, is a truncated, high-octane version of tennis designed to attract a younger audience. Played under floodlights with a rock 'n' roll atmosphere, it features unique rules like single serves per point, sudden-death points, and matches contested over four eight-minute quarters on a pure singles court.
De Minaur has now won three UTS events in the competition's five-year history, proving his adaptability and skill in this fast-paced environment. His path to the 2025 final included a dominant 3-0 semi-final win over Frenchman Ugo Humbert.
The final itself saw the tournament's two highest-ranked players face off. De Minaur dropped the first quarter 11-15 but rallied strongly to take the next three (15-10, 15-11, 16-7) against the world number twelve and three-time Grand Slam finalist.
A Special Win at a 'Second Home'
"It's amazing to win here again," de Minaur said after his victory. "London is a special place for me, and my home now." The Sydneysider's popularity in Britain has soared following his engagement to British tennis star Katie Boulter, and he was warmly cheered by the local crowd.
This significant payday is a highlight of de Minaur's best-ever season. The $964,000 prize is not far short of the US$727,500 he earned for reaching the semi-finals of the recent ATP Finals, and actually surpasses the US$420,000 he received for winning his sole ATP tour title this year in Washington.
The triumph comes on the eve of the Australian tennis awards in Melbourne, where de Minaur is the overwhelming favourite to claim a record-equalling fourth Newcombe Medal on Monday night. However, the tireless competitor is already looking ahead.
"There's no rest for me," de Minaur remarked. "I might take Monday off, but then it's back on court practising for the new season." His victory in London provides a perfect and highly profitable springboard into the 2026 campaign.
