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Carlos Alcaraz didn't start the week in Rotterdam with good feelings, risking a lot already in his first match against Botic van de Zandschulp, but he proved to be a great champion and lifted the trophy yesterday.
The level of the Spanish ace rose as the rounds went by and his opponents could not stop him from winning his first career title in indoor conditions. The former world No.1 suffering from a severe cold all week did not play his best tennis, but he was able to suffer by making the difference in the decisive moments.
This feeling is certified above all by the semifinal against Hubert Hurkacz and the final against Alex de Minaur, two very tough challenges in which Carlitos had several ups and downs. In both cases, the world number 3 lost the second set by committing too many unforced errors before raising the pace by prevailing in the third set.
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Alcaraz wins after 4 months
Thanks to this triumph, the 21-year-old from Murcia lifted his first trophy in 2025 and moved closer to Sascha Zverev in second place in the ATP ranking. The 4-time Grand Slam champion will have a week off before the Doha ATP 500, another very prestigious event in which he will have to face Jannik Sinner and Novak Djokovic.
Speaking on Eurosport, former French ace Nicolas Escud analyzed Alcaraz's victory in Rotterdam: "He had never won a title indoors, so he needed a success like that. There were a lot of dangerous players in this tournament and he deserved to lift the trophy, although he had a lot of ups and downs during the week."
The former world number 17 continued: "The fact that he has never won a title in indoor conditions could have created a little curse in his mind, but this lock has finally been opened. I am sure that this triumph will help him for the future.
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Everyone knows he can play incredible tennis, but he has to learn to be more consistent."
