ATP Finals: Alex De Minaur recovers from ‘dark place’ to keep bid alive and advance Carlos Alcaraz

De Minaur will be one of those willing to win for Alcaraz, who remains interested in the late-season game despite two consecutive losses at the start.

When the 26-year-old initially learned in his post-match interview that he would qualify with Alcaraz’s victory, he didn’t want to believe it.

De Minaur has lost his last 16 matches against top-10 players and all five of his previous matches at the ATP Finals.

A crushing loss to Musetti on Tuesday saw De Minaur lead 5-3 in the deciding set before surrendering in four straight games, which shook his confidence.

However, facing an opponent who had lost the previous two games, De Minaur readjusted his mentality and played an inspired performance against Fritz.

“It means a lot. I was in a very dark place a few days ago,” De Minaur told Sky Sports.

“More than anything, I’m proud of my effort. Not just going out and winning, but the mentality. I feel at peace with what happened and I’m committed.”

In a post-match interview, he said on court: “I’ve been through some heartbreak recently.

“I work really hard so it’s nice to be rewarded in a positive way.

“[The loss to Musetti] It’s a hard pill to swallow. I didn’t think too much today, I just went out and worked on what I needed to do. I continue to support myself and whether it works or not, I will put it all aside today. “