Why Alcaraz's Rotterdam title is 'even more special'

Carlos Alcaraz has already reached lofty heights in the sport. Yet the former No. 1 in the PIF ATP Rankings views his title at the ABN AMRO Open in Rotterdam in a rather different light when comparing it to the other accolades that came before it.

After withstanding a fightback from two-time finalist Alex de Minaur in Sunday’s championship match, Alcaraz added a first indoor trophy to his name. Prior to his title run in Rotterdam, the 21-year-old had never reached a tour-level final on the surface, but he improved that record with a string of impressive performances en route to his 17th career title.

“I knew that I [could] play really good tennis on indoor courts, it was just about time,” Alcaraz said after his 6-4, 3-6, 6-2 win over De Minaur. “I had not too much experience playing on indoor courts. There are a lot of players who play better tennis on indoor courts than me, but I am improving and it’s a really important week. I’m just really happy to show the people that I can beat really good players on indoor courts as well. That helps a lot for my confidence.

“It’s special. Every tournament that you win is special, but this one is even more special because it’s on [an] indoor court — my first one.”

Watch Rotterdam 2025 Final Highlights:

With his run to the Rotterdam crown, Alcaraz became the first Spaniard to triumph in the tournament’s 52-year history. He also became the first player to win the tournament on his debut since Lleyton Hewitt in 2004, but his path to the final did not come without its challenges.

Alcaraz was forced into three deciding sets during the week, with the semi-final against Hubert Hurkacz proving a major obstacle to overcome. Although his win over the big-hitting Pole came as a confidence boost, Alcaraz alluded to areas in his game that he will need improve in order to reach his full potential.

“I think it’s [a matter of] time that I’ll get into the top of the rankings of players on indoor court, I’m sure about it,” Alcaraz said. “I have to improve a few things that I was working on, the serve is one of them, I think everybody knows that. I’m not hiding the fact that the players who have big serves and big shots from the baseline are also dangerous but I think I will reach that level for sure.”

Alcaraz’s decision to compete at the indoor hard-court ATP 500 event may come as a surprise, but it shows the work he is willing to put in to become an all-rounded threat on Tour. In previous years, the Spaniard has chosen to head to South America for the clay-court swing, where he triumphed at the ATP 500 in Rio de Janeiro in 2022, and at the ATP 250 in Buenos Aires in 2023.

De Minaur, who will return to a career high of No. 6 in the PIF ATP Rankings on Monday, was also chasing his first indoor title. The 25-year-old produced an assertive level in the second set against Alcaraz, but was ultimately unable to hold back the Spaniard, who kept his cool in a relentless deciding set.

“There were some nerves in the match, some tense situations, but I think it was a really good game,” Alcaraz said when asked of his level. “Most importantly, I stayed strong mentally and focused during the whole match, even if I lost the second set. To come into the third with a strong mentality was pretty good, but I think my game today was high.

“The final is always really difficult because you have to deal with nerves, with the pressure of playing a final. I think I managed it pretty well today. I knew what I had to do since the beginning of the match, but the first round was pretty tough as well.”