Brooksby replaces injured De Minaur at Chubb UTS Hong Kong 2025 with Humansa, Kyrgios to coach Gasquet
A heartbroken man took his plane home from Hong Kong on Sunday. Alex ‘The Demon’ de Minaur has been forced to withdraw from Chubb UTS Hong Kong 2025 with Humansa after continuing to suffer hip pain.
The Australian arrived in Hong Kong as planned on October 11 to prepare for the tournament, but the pain was too high to sustain a high-intensity physical competition.
“I was very much looking forward to participating in the first UTS event held in Hong Kong,” explained de Minaur.
“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 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 lineup, 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.”
The Australian will be replaced by Jenson Brooksby, who will make his UTS debut.
Brooksby’s ranking has rocketed this year, rising from outside the top 1000 in January to a current ranking of world No 57. His notable achievements include winning his first ATP title in Houston in April, and last month at the Japan Open, defeating Holger Rune to reach the tournament’s semi-finals. His first match at Chubb UTS Hong Kong 2025 with Humansa will be against Chinese tennis star Zhizhen Zhang.
UTS Founder Mr Patrick Mouratoglou added: “Whilst 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”.
“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.”
As the tournament continues to get closer, fan favourite Nick Kyrgios has been visiting the city to meet fans, and, today, he enjoyed a fun practice with Hong Kong Cantopop star Eason Chan.
He will take on a new role as Richard Gasquet’s coach in his awaited quarter-final against Jerry Shang, which promises to be an enticing watch for tennis fans.
All competitors have now arrived at the event, with Andrey ‘Rublo’ Rublev showing off his hammer forehand in practice, and Richard ‘The Virtuoso’ Gasquet’s signature backhand flair being seen to be as strong as ever.
Coleman ‘The Chosen Wong’ Wong is also excited for a rematch of his US Open third-round match against Rublev in front of his home crowd in Hong Kong.
14 October (Tuesday) Order of Play:
6:30pm Cerundolo “ El Canon” vs Mannarino “Manna”
7:30pm Shang “Jerry ” vs Gasquet “The Virtuoso”
8:30pm Jenson Brooksby “The Show” (1) vs Zhang “The Night Wtachman”
9:30pm Rublev “Rublo” (2) vs Wong “The Chosen Wong”
The last tickets can be bought here.
