Carlos Alcaraz claimed his first indoor title at the Rotterdam Open on Sunday, defeating Australia’s Alex de Minaur 6-4, 3-6, 6-2 in a hard-fought final.
The world No. 3 showcased his firepower from both wings, overpowering De Minaur, who defended admirably but lacked the finishing weapons to trouble the top seed.
Alcaraz struck first, breaking in the third game with a mix of heavy groundstrokes and a costly double fault from De Minaur. The Australian, ranked No. 8, responded with a love break in the seventh game, leveling the set at 4-4.
However, an ill-advised drop shot at 0-30 gifted Alcaraz another chance, and a powerful backhand pass set up the opportunity to serve out the set. The Spaniard capitalized, closing it out as De Minaur netted a forehand return.
Momentum shifted in the second set, with De Minaur breaking early and surging to a 3-0 lead. He missed two chances for a double break but held on to even the match at one set apiece, sealing it as Alcaraz faltered with errant groundstrokes.
The decider remained on serve until the sixth game when Alcaraz broke with a deft drop shot that De Minaur pushed wide. Serving at 2-5 to stay in the match, the Australian handed Alcaraz two championship points with a costly double fault.
A weary backhand into the net sealed the Spaniard’s victory—his 17th ATP title — prompting a triumphant “Vamos!” as the Rotterdam crowd erupted.
For De Minaur, it was a painful repeat of last year’s final, where he also finished runner-up, that time to Jannik Sinner.
