Following two successive losses to begin the competition, De Minaur will be among those supporting Alcaraz in the hopes of a victory, which would sustain his involvement in the year-end tournament.
Upon initially learning of his potential qualification via an Alcaraz triumph during his post-match discussion, the 26-year-old expressed hesitation in fully believing the information.
De Minaur had suffered defeats in his previous 16 encounters with players ranked in the top 10, in addition to each of his prior five appearances at the ATP Finals.
A disheartening loss to Musetti on Tuesday, in which De Minaur squandered a 5-3 advantage in the deciding set by conceding four straight games, had significantly impacted his self-assurance.
However, against a competitor he had lost to in their two previous matches, De Minaur mentally regrouped and delivered an inspired performance against Fritz.
“It signifies a great deal. A few days ago, I was in a rather difficult state,” De Minaur conveyed to Sky Sports.
“Above all else, I am proud of the effort I put in. Not only for coming out and securing the win, but also for the mindset I displayed. I accepted what had occurred and simply committed to the task.”
During his post-match on-court interview, he commented: “I’ve experienced a considerable amount of disappointment recently.”
“I’ve dedicated a lot of effort, so it was gratifying to receive a positive outcome for that.”
“[The defeat to Musetti] was a bitter blow to take. I refrained from overanalyzing things today; I simply went out and committed to what I needed to accomplish. I maintained belief in myself, and regardless of the outcome, I was determined to give it my all today.”
