ROTTERDAM/WASHINGTON, February 9, 2025 (by Michael Dickens)
On an evening filled with plenty of entertaining highlights, World No. 3 Carlos Alcaraz advanced to his first indoor ATP Tour final in his fourth semifinal under the roof at the ABN Amro Open in Rotterdam Saturday.
The five-time ATP 500 champion became the seventh active player to reach eight-plus ATP 500 finals with his 6-4, 6-7 (5), 6-3 victory over World No. 21 and eighth seed Hubert Hurkacz of Poland. The 21-year-old Spaniard became the third Spanish finalist in the tournament’s 52-year history, after his coach, Juan Carlos Ferrero (2004) and Rafael Nadal (2009).
What a battle @carlosalcaraz reaches his first indoor ATP final in Rotterdam, defeating Hurkacz 6-4 6-7 6-3#abnamroopen pic.twitter.com/tq1MtfnfIz
— Tennis TV (@TennisTV) February 8, 2025
If Alcaraz were to defeat third seed and finalist, World No. 8 Alex de Minaur of Australia, he would become the first player from Spain to win the Rotterdam title. Earlier Saturday, de Minaur ended the dream run of 92nd-ranked qualifier Mattia Bellucci of Italy, with a 6-1, 6-2 victory in just 67 minutes to set up Sunday’s title final.
After ceding a 4-1 lead to Hurkacz in the opening set, Alcaraz regrouped and saved three break points to keep from staring at a double-break deficit. He won five straight games to pull out the first set. Later on, he pulled away in the deciding set by taking a 3-0 lead, winning 12 of the first 13 points, to cap the two-hour, 21-minute victory. Alcaraz closed out the win with a third-shot forehand winner – his 26th forehand winner – on his second match-point opportunity.
TRULY REMARKABLE
Incredible quality of tennis from @carlosalcaraz & Hurkacz! @abnamroopen | #abnamroopen pic.twitter.com/e4lLF0z1XL
— ATP Tour (@atptour) February 8, 2025
“Great level, great match, that’s all I could say,” Alcaraz said in his on-court interview with ATP Media afterward, asked to describe what he said to Hurkacz, who received tremendous applause as he left Centre Court. “In that moment he was a bit tired. I know his frustrations at the end of the match, so I couldn’t say so much about it. I’m just really happy. I think we both played at such a high level, for the people as well. It was a great match.”
Alcaraz won 80 percent of his first-serve points, struck 39 winners overall – including five aces – and saved five of six break points he faced. He converted three of nine break-point chances and outpointed Hurkacz 102-93. The Polish star hit 10 aces and 33 winners overall to 31 unforced errors, one fewer unforced error than Alcaraz.
BREAKING: Supernatural activity has occurred in Rotterdam @carlosalcaraz is out of this world!!! @abnamroopen | #abnamroopen pic.twitter.com/duC0E1As6l
— ATP Tour (@atptour) February 8, 2025
The loss to Alcaraz kept Hurkacz, who knocked off 2021 champion Andrey Rublev in Friday’s quarterfinal round, from becoming the first Polish player to reach the Rotterdam final and also to reach his fourth ATP 500 final since 2022. However, Hurkacz will return to the Top 20 on Monday at No. 20.
“His level [in the first set] was unbelievable, really high, so I knew that it was about time,” Alcaraz said in praise of Hurkacz’s quick start in the first set. “So, I’m really happy to have been able to fight every ball and to save the break points that I had to [save] to not be 1-5 down. I’m just happy to be able to do it and in the end, it paid off.”
Alcaraz, who improved to 8-1 to start the 2025 season, which includes a quarterfinal finish at the Australian Open, is through to his first tour-level final since defeating World No. 1 Jannik Sinner last October in Beijing.
Carlos wants to hear you!!! @carlosalcaraz advances into the Rotterdam final after a thrilling victory over Hurkacz. @abnamroopen | #abnamroopen pic.twitter.com/W8y992qhbW
— ATP Tour (@atptour) February 8, 2025
Around the Rotterdam Ahoy
Doubles third seeds Simone Bolleli and Andrea Vavassori of Italy, winners of the Adelaide title and finalists at the Australian Open last month, defeated British duo Julian Cash and Lloyd Glasspool, 7-6 (1), 7-6 (3), to advance to Sunday title match against Sander Gille of Belgium and Jan Zielinski of Poland. The Italian pair outpointed their opponents 76-70.
Forza ragazzi!
At the stroke of midnight, the last stroke of semifinal day is struck!
Bolelli/Vavassori advance to the doubles final at the #abnamroopen, overcoming Cash/Glasspool in ✌️tiebreaks. pic.twitter.com/c7ReXk959o
— ABN AMRO Open (@abnamroopen) February 8, 2025
Sunday’s Rotterdam order of play
By the numbers
Carlos Alcaraz is through to his 22nd tour-level final – and first since winning the Beijing title last October. He’s 16-5 in his previous 21 ATP Tour finals. With his win over Hubert Hurkacz Saturday evening, Alcaraz is 16-1 versus players ranked outside the Top 20 since last September, with his lone loss to No. 33 Tomas Machac at the ATP Masters 1000 in Shanghai quarterfinals.
“Quotable …”
“It’s for my health. I caught a cold when I was at home, but I’m feeling better every day. I was struggling a little bit at home. I could only train for two days and then I had to rest until the cold got better.”
– Top seed Carlos Alcaraz, as quoted by the ATP Tour website, describing the black nasal strips he’s been wearing throughout the week while competing in Rotterdam.
