"That's not the point" - Day after Stefanos Tsitsipas upset, Mattia Bellucci refuses to blame lack of break for Alex de Minaur loss at Rotterdam

After victories over Daniil Medvedev and Stefanos Tsitsipas, Mattia Bellucci’s magical week in Rotterdam reached its end against Alex de Minaur. The Italian reflected on his performance following the defeat.

Bellucci, a qualifier at the 2025 ABN AMRO Open in Rotterdam, scripted a hat trick against Dutch players to set up a meeting against Daniil Medvedev in the second round. Here, he secured his first-ever top 20 win, beating the former champion 6-3, 6-7(6), 6-3. The 23-year-old then racked up a second top-20 win, crushing Stefanos Tsitsipas 6-4, 6-2. He, however, fell short of a hat trick in the semifinals, where he faced 2024 finalist Alex de Minaur.

De Minaur, ranked No. 8 in the world, earned a resounding 6-1, 6-2 win against Mattia Bellucci on Saturday, February 8. Ahead of the match, the Italian had addressed the pressure of the occasion while pointing out that he enjoyed the comfort of off days during his preliminary rounds—a factor that was missing before his semifinal.

"As I said in the previous round (after beating Medvedev) I was really – I really needed some time to rest. I just beat a guy who’s had amazing results in his career,” he said after his win against Stefanos Tsitsipas. "I don’t know how I’ll manage the emotions because it’s going to be a semifinal, but definitely it’s going to be something new."

In that regard, Sportskeeda asked Bellucci whether fatigue and the lack of an off day played a role in his one-sided loss to de Minaur. The Italian, however, refused to blame the schedule.

"I mean, it’s normal (not to have a day off). When you go in the semifinal, you’re not gonna have every day a rest day – that’s definitely normal," he said.

He pointed out his lack of experience in the deep stages of ATP tournaments, which, according to him, played a role in his defeat.

"I definitely have to adapt to this level and play a match like this every day," Mattia Bellucci said. "Playing three top 20 guys, so it’s definitely something challenging for me. I really need to get used to it. Maybe an extra day makes a difference but that’s not definitely the point. It’s just that I need to adapt."

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Mattia Bellucci on Rotterdam matches against Alex de Minaur, Stefanos Tsitsipas, Daniil Medvedev: "Being in the big stages is what I really want"

Bellucci pictured during match against Stefanos Tsitsipas at the 2025 ABN AMRO Open in Rotterdam - Image Source: Getty

Mattia Bellucci was barely inside the world's top 100 when he started his Rotterdam campaign. Following his run to the semifinals, the Italian finds himself at a career-high live ranking of No. 68. About the experience he gained across the week, having pulled off upsets against Daniil Medvedev and Stefanos Tsitsipas, the 23-year-old said:

"Three matches in a row like this was something that will definitely help me in the future," he told Sportskeeda during the post-match media interaction.

"Being in the big stages is what I really want and what I think that I can do. But I need to be focused and keep working as I am doing. I think that I am doing a good job with my coach and my team," he added.

After his groundbreaking performance in Rotterdam, Mattia Bellucci is expected to resume his 2025 campaign at the ATP 500 event in Acapulco (February 24-March 2), where he has entered as a qualifier.