"I have had no choice": Alex de Minaur shares reason behind withdrawal from UTS Hong Kong event

Australia’s Alex de Minaur becomes the latest high-profile player to opt out of the fist-ever UTS event organizing in Hong Kong. The two-day event will be played at the Kai Tak Arena on the 14th and the 15th of October.

One of the most high-profile players who was expected to take part in the competition was De Minaur. However, the 26-year-old will not be able to take part in the competition because of a fitness issue. De Minaur was quoted in a SCMP report, where he explained why he did not feature in the mega-event.

De Minaur stated that he was ‘very much looking forward’ to taking part in the event, but will not be able to do so because of feeling pain before starting practising. De Minaur stated that he decided after having detailed discussions with his coaching staff. De Minaur also highlighted that he was ‘amazed’ by the venue in Hong Kong and is keen to return to the competition next year.

“I was very much looking forward to participating in the first UTS event held in Hong Kong,” De Minaur said. “However, it now seems I haven’t physically recovered quickly enough as I was feeling the pain even before working on the practice court. After discussing with my team, I have had no choice but to withdraw and to meet my doctors for a proper assessment. I have been amazed by the excellent venue for the Hong Kong leg of the tour and the outstanding player line-up, which is sure to deliver an incredibly exciting tournament for everyone. I hope everyone thoroughly enjoys the competition, and I look forward to hopefully returning to Hong Kong soon to put on a great show for you all in the future.”

De Minaur is going through a mixed season. He has featured in 59 matches across various competitions and has won 42 of them. Despite a healthy win percentage of more than 71 per cent, De Minaur has only lifted one title in 2025. That title was the DC Open back in July in Washington, where De Minaur defeated Spain’s Alejandro Davidovich Fokina in the final with a score of 5-7, 6-1, 7-6

De Minaur’s most recent appearance was at the recently concluded Shanghai Masters where his journey ended after losing in the quarterfinal to Russia’s Daniil Medvedev in straight sets with a score of 6-4, 6-4. De Minaur will be replaced by America’s Jenson Brooksby in the UTS Hong Kong edition who will face China’s Zhang Zhizhen in the quarterfinal of the event of Tuesday.

Famous tennis coach and the founder of the UTS, Patrick Mouratoglou, was also quoted in the report, stating that he understood De Minaur’s reason for withdrawing from the competition. Mouratoglou said that De Minaur’s withdrawal was ‘unfortunate’ but also expressed excitement to welcome a player like Brooksby, that too on such a ‘short notice’.

“While it’s unfortunate that Alex has been forced to withdraw from the event, we understand that injuries are an inevitable part of this physically and mentally demanding sport, particularly towards the end of a long season,” said Mouratoglou. “We are delighted to welcome an excellent player like Jenson Brooksby to the field at such short notice. Together with the other seven top players, each with their unique styles and personalities, the matches over the next two days promise to be thrilling and exciting showdowns.”

De Minaur became the third high-profile player to opt out of the competition. Previously, his countryman Nick Kyrgios and the Czech Republic’s Tomas Machac also pulled out of the competition for different reasons. They have been replaced by the pair of China’s Jerry Shang Juncheng and French star Adrian Mannarino.