Carlos Alcaraz practiced for about a week in Juan Carlos Ferrero's academy, before flying to Rotterdam to play the prestigious ATP 500 next week. The young Spanish ace will be the top favorite to lift the trophy after Jannik Sinner's forfeit, who preferred to rest after winning his third Grand Slam title at the Australian Open.
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The current world No.3 who did not go beyond the quarterfinals in the first Major of the new season will have to prove that he has improved on indoor hard courts, where he has never achieved great results up to this point in his career.
The 21-year-old from Murcia will not have Ferrero in his box in this tournament, but there will be Samuel Lopez to join him here and in Doha in the second half of February. The 4-time Grand Slam champion's potential path is fraught with dangerous obstacles starting with his debut, in which he will face local idol Botic van de Zandschulp.
Carlitos will have the chance to take revenge against a player who had eliminated him in the second round of the 2024 US Open, playing perhaps the best match of his entire career. However, if there is one surface on which the Spaniard is most vulnerable, it is precisely this.
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Alcaraz practiced with Medvedev
Alcaraz has already arrived in Rotterdam and had his first practice session with Daniil Medvedev, as evidenced by a video posted on YouTube by Tennis TV.
The former world No.1 is hunting for his first title in 2025, after partially disappointing expectations at the AO. The 21-year-old Spaniard has never had much feeling with the Happy Slam so far and the defeat to Nole Djokovic in the quarterfinals brought back his usual weaknesses.
No one doubts the immense talent of Carlitos, who needs more consistency if he wants to undermine the leadership of his great rival Sinner.
The Italian ace has maintained impressive consistency over the past twelve months and has distanced the Spaniard by almost 5000 points.
