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Carlos Alcaraz's first title in 2025 came on his 'worst' surface the indoor hard court but it has a very special meaning. The young Spanish ace returned to lift a trophy four months after the last time (at the 2024 Beijing ATP 500 last October) and thanks to his triumph in Rotterdam last week he has moved closer to second place in the ATP rankings.
Although he did not play his best tennis in the Netherlands, the 21-year-old from Murcia showed that he has improved on these courts and has been able to overcome several complicated moments during the week. The 4-time Grand Slam champion played five matches in Rotterdam, three of which ended in the third set.
The current world number 3 wants to be more consistent this season and limit the number of ups and downs, which are the main reason for his gap from Jannik Sinner and Alexander Zverev. The Spanish star has also worked mentally during the pre-season and the first fruits of his efforts are beginning to be visible.
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Carlitos has overtaken Ferrero
At 21 years old, Carlitos has already won 17 titles on the professional tour, one more than his coach Juan Carlos Ferrero. The latter did not follow Alcaraz to Rotterdam, having been replaced by Samuel Lopez, who officially joined the former world No. 1's team as of early 2025.
Interviewed by Eurosport shortly before leaving for Doha, Lopez revealed that he had been in constant contact with Ferrero before every match in Rotterdam: "I spoke to Juan Carlos before every match and he gave me advice about both Carlitos and the opponents he faced. He has been working with Alcaraz for seven years and knows him much better than I do.
After the final, we shared this title with JC and reminded him that Carlos has won more titles than him now.
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Alcaraz is the only Spaniard who has won here, while Ferrero had lost the final to Hewitt."
