Rotterdam Open: Carlos Alcaraz beats Alex de Minaur for first indoor title
2025-02-10
Category: sports

Carlos Alcaraz edged a tight final against Australia's Alex de Minaur to win the Rotterdam Open and claim the first indoor hardcourt title of his career.It was a 17th ATP title for the 21-year-old Spanish top seed but his first since winning in Beijing in September. The four-time Grand Slam winner had to fight hard for the victory after third seed De Minaur won the second set to take the match into a decider. But a break of serve for Alcaraz in the sixth game of the final set proved decisive and he went on to win the next two games to seal a 6-4 3-6 6-2 victory.    The reigning French Open and Wimbledon champion, who also claimed the US Open in 2022, has won grand slam titles on all three outdoor surfaces. Alcaraz's latest success, in his first tournament back following defeat by Novak Djokovic in the Australian Open quarter-finals, added another string to his bow. He thanked the Rotterdam crowd for a "special week" as he claimed the winner's prize in his first appearance at the event.For De Minaur, however, it was a second successive defeat in the Rotterdam final, after finishing runner-up to world number one Jannik Sinner last year. "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," said De Minaur, 25, who has won nine titles on the ATP tour."It's been two years now with this runners-up trophy, I'm hoping I will get my hands on the winner's one day." 