đź”— Share this article {'Mentally it's killing me': De Minaur on brink of ATP Finals elimination after final set collapse The Australian tennis star's hopes of advancing to the ATP Finals last four are hanging by a thread after a gut-wrenching defeat in three sets to Italian opponent Lorenzo Musetti. Devastating Loss in Turin The seventh-ranked player went down 7-5 3-6 7-5 after failing to serve out the match, keeping the Italian to remain in the event and now leaving the Australian requiring to convincingly beat Taylor Fritz in his third and final group match to qualify for the semi-finals. Mental Demons Threaten Career But facing Fritz in two days' time is the smallest of de Minaur's immediate concerns as the Sydneysider admits he must address the psychological barriers that risk undermining his career. A unsuccessful competitor of all six of his grand slam quarter-final appearances, the 26-year-old was couldn't hide his distress after suffering yet another high-stakes near miss with his tournament fate in his own hands. "I'm uncertain how many times I can deal with a loss like this one," de Minaur said in Turin. "I just have to talk to my team and try to sort out these issues because these are challenges that can't keep happening." Professional Turning Point "I mean, if I truly desire to be genuine about taking the next step in my career, these contests, I must win them. I just can't. It seems as if I've lost a lot of them this year. Most importantly, it's reaching a point where psychologically it's killing me." Characterizing his emotions as "very bleak", de Minaur lamented a succession of final set collapses in 2025 and said he must discover methods to win the close matches. Recent Setbacks The Australia No 1's streak of crushing losses comprise: Latest 6-3 4-6 7-6 (7-5) outcome 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 said. "Whenever the outcome isn't positive, it's difficult to keep pushing through." Immediate Solution Needed "This is an issue that if it isn't resolved, it's going to eat me alive. I must get it sorted quickly rather than delayed." Upcoming Challenge De Minaur and Fritz are tied at five wins each in past meetings, though the American world No 6 won their meeting in this prestigious tournament last year. The Aussie's chances remain flickering after Fritz experienced a 6-7 (2-7) 7-5 6-3 defeat to Carlos Alcaraz that ensured the Spaniard would advance to the semi-finals as the victor of the Jimmy Connors group. Tournament Implications The second-ranked player's victory, having already knocked over de Minaur, put Alcaraz within one win of securing 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 beat Auger-Aliassime in his opener on Monday, goes undefeated to retain his ATP Finals title. "I will try not to focus on it," said Alcaraz. "It's going to be a really big match for me. I will try not to let the anxiety play a negative role in the match. I will think about my goals, about performing much better than today."