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Carlos Alcaraz has definitely raised his level in his last two matches at the Rotterdam ATP 500. The Spanish ace who struggled a lot on his debut against Botic van de Zandschulp on Tuesday dropped just three games to both ItalianAndrea Vavassori and his compatriot Pedro Martinez to reach his first semi-final in 2025.
The former world number 1 is becoming more and more familiar with this court, although indoor conditions are not his favorites as evidenced by the results he has achieved in recent years. The 21-year-old from Murcia is trying to limit the ups and downs as much as possible, focusing on each point and not giving his opponents the chance to believe in the feat.
The 4-time Grand Slam champion will be hoping to play his best tennis in the semifinals against Hubert Hurkacz today. The Polish player is very dangerous on this surface and has already shown that he can put Carlitos in serious trouble in the past.
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Hubi's serve could make the difference here in Rotterdam and the Spaniard will have to be very careful to avoid lapses in concentration, which could really be very deleterious in a match that will be decided on a few points.
Alcaraz on his new racket
As everyone knows, the current world number 3 has been using a slightly heavier racket since the beginning of this season.
Alcaraz needs time to get used to this change and the sensations have been fluctuating for now, as he has alternated good performances with matches in which he has made too many unforced errors.
"As you know, I slightly changed the weight of my racket during the off-season," Carlitos said during his last press conference in Rotterdam.
"I played the Australian Open with a racket five grams heavier than the old one and the sensations are very different.
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I feel like I'm generating more power now, but I have to keep the right control of the ball so I don't make too many mistakes. These five grams really make a difference."
The Spaniard needs to win this tournament to get closer to Sascha Zverev in second place in the ATP ranking.
