Carlos Alcaraz battled past Alex de Minaur in a hard-fought final to win the Rotterdam Open, securing the first indoor hardcourt title of his career.
The 21-year-old Spanish top seed claimed his 17th ATP title, but this was his first trophy since his victory in Beijing last September. The four-time Grand Slam champion faced a tough challenge as third seed De Minaur pushed the match into a deciding set after winning the second.
A crucial break of serve in the sixth game of the final set gave Alcaraz the momentum he needed, as he went on to win the next two games and seal a 6-4, 3-6, 6-2 victory.
The French Open and Wimbledon champion, who also won the US Open in 2022, has already claimed Grand Slam titles on all three outdoor surfaces. His Rotterdam triumph, coming in his first tournament since his Australian Open quarter-final defeat to Novak Djokovic, now adds an indoor title to his growing list of achievements.
Alcaraz expressed his gratitude to the Rotterdam crowd, calling it a “special week”, as he lifted the trophy in his debut appearance at the tournament.
For De Minaur, the loss marked his second consecutive runner-up finish in Rotterdam, following last year’s defeat to Jannik Sinner. Despite the disappointment, the 25-year-old Australian remained optimistic about his progress.
“It’s been a lot of improvements in my game over the last couple of years, and I am going to keep on pushing for more,” De Minaur said. “It’s been two years now with this runner-up trophy. I’m hoping I will get my hands on the winner’s one day.”
Meanwhile, at the Dallas Open in Texas, Denis Shapovalov claimed the biggest ATP title of his career, defeating second seed Casper Ruud 7-6 (7-5), 6-3 in the final. The 25-year-old Canadian also overcame top seed Taylor Fritz and third seed Tommy Paul en route to his third ATP title.
