Carlos Alcaraz's debut at the Rotterdam ATP 500 was not brilliant and confirmed all the difficulties of the Spanish ace in indoor conditions. The current world number 3 - who is looking to win his first title in 2025 - struggled a lot to take revenge on Botic van de Zandschulp (who had beaten him at the 2024 US Open) in the most anticipated match of the second day.
The Spanish player had to twice recover a break disadvantage in the first set prevailing in the tiebreak, but he was unable to raise his level in the second set and lost his serve at the end of a truly disastrous game.
The local idol continued to play good tennis and supported by his fans in a full arena and eager to enjoy the show extended the challenge to the third set. In the moment of greatest tension, the Dutch ace had a drop in concentration that allowed Carlitos to go ahead in the score and close after an intense battle.
Alcaraz needs to improve
The performance of the 21-year-old from Murcia was not convincing and there has been no progress since his last appearances. The 4-time Grand Slam champion has not won a title since October 2024, when he defeated his great rival Jannik Sinner in the stunning final of the Beijing ATP 500.
Speaking on Eurosport, former French ace Nicolas Escud commented on Alcaraz's performance in his first match in Rotterdam: "Carlos will have to improve a lot of things if he wants to go far in this tournament and he will have to be quick because his potential path is very tough.
The feeling is that his shots from the baseline are more predictable than a few months ago and no longer force opponents to move away from the baseline.
As had already happened at the Australian Open, tonight he made too many errors with his forehand. He missed a lot of easy shots for a player like him, which is why there are still several adjustments to be made. The only positive aspect is that his physical shape seems very good."
