Carlos Alcaraz also conquers the track covered in Rotterdam | ATP Tour

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Alcaraz also conquers the track covered in Rotterdam

The Spanish premiered on the surface with the seventeenth title of his career

February 09, 2025

Carlos Alcaraz pursued unlock some pending challenges in his still young race at the ABN Amro Open to conquer his first crown on a hard roof track. And he did so this Sunday by defeating Alex from Minaur in the final.

The main favorite in Róterdam won the last round in the Australian Arena 6-4, 3-6, 6-2 in an hour and 54 minutes, premiering his record this season with the seventeenth title that travels to his showcase .

“It has been a very good week together,” Alcaraz acknowledged to his team, which this time had Samuel López as the main coach. “We have worked very well. I arrived here without feeling 100% with the cold, but every day I have felt better. Róterdam has been a very special week for me. Not only for the title … It is clear that also, but for the support I have received from the first day. ”

“It was my first time here and you have made me feel as if I had been playing this tournament for a long time,” he added.

The Róterdam challenge was not easy, since in the 52 years of tournament of the tournament no Spanish player had conquered the hard track of Rotterdam. Only Juan Carlos Ferrero in 2004 and Rafael Nadal in 2009 had reached the final, but they gave in front of Styton Hewitt and Andy Murray, respectively.

In addition, Alcaraz managed to break the equality with his coach and former No. 1 of the PIF ATP Rankings Juan Carlos Ferrero, who retired with 16 ATP Tour titles in his record. The 21 -year -old Murcia conquered the seventeenth.

Spaniards with more titles in the open era

Rafael Nadal: 93

Manuel Orantes: 34

David Ferrer: 27

Carlos Moya: 20

Alex Corretja: 17

Carlos Alcaraz: 17

Alcaraz had become the first player last year in the history of the ATP 500 (since 2009) capable of winning a title of this category in whipped land, grass and hard track, but he still had to complete the collection on the roof. And in Róterdam he completed the four possible scenarios.

The Spanish has six ATP 500 titles in his record, being the eighth player with the most successful in the category behind Roger Federer (16), Rafael Nadal (15), Novak Djokovic (14), Andy Murray (9), David Ferrer (8), Juan Martín del Potro (7) and Kei Nishikori (6).

To get this milestone, he had to overcome an opponent in the Rotterdam final whom he had already won in his two previous clashes in the Lexus ATP Head2head. Alcaraz could with one from Miñaur, who had reached the final without giving a set throughout the week against David Goffin (1r), Jakub Mensik (2R), Daniel Altmaier (CF) and Mattia Bellucci (SF).

However, the Spanish soon hurt the rest. In the third game he signed the first break to open a small gap on the scoreboard (3-1). His security with the service was broken in the seventh game, with a blank break that the Australian took to match (4-4).

But as he had done in the previous matches in the Dutch tournament, when the worse things painted Alcaraz became stronger. Two consecutive games served to close the first manga on his side (6-4) with a 73% success with the first serve and two breaks turned into three opportunities, according to the InfosS ATP statistics.

Miñaur did not fall apart. On the contrary. He began the second act with maximum concentration, aggressive to the rest and being as solid as in the previous meetings. Thus registered a new 3-0 advantage, which invited to think about one more set. The Australian resisted the only moment of crisis with his serve with 4-2 and 30/40 to match the final.

Alcaraz had to be patient and wait for his moment, because on the other side of the network he ran into a wall. Any opportunity that was presented to him, from Miñaur managed to dissipate her. He did so in the second game of the third set, when the Spanish had a break option.

In the next two shifts of Spanish with his service, the Australian managed to place himself 15/30 to threaten his serve. But it was a mirage. Alcaraz resisted and counterattacked. After enduring a tough game to put the 3-2 on his side, he then broke the serve of De Miñaur and consolidated the advantage to leave the score in a 5-2 that was final.

Finally, he closed the 6-2 victory and became the first player classified in Top 3 to conquer the title in Rotterdam since Federer did it as No. 2 in 2018.

Did you know what …?

Carlos Alcaraz is the sixth active player with more titles conquered in the ATP Tour with a total of 17. NOVAK DJOKOVIC (99), Alexander Zverev (23), Marin Cilic (21), Daniil Medvedev (20) and Jannik Sinner ( 19) They have won more.