Alcaraz Rules In Rotterdam, Caps Dutch Debut With First Indoor Title

Carlos Alcaraz
Carlos Alcaraz (photo: ATP Tour video)

ROTTERDAM/WASHINGTON, February 9, 2025 (by Michael Dickens)

For the fifth straight year, a new champion was crowned in Rotterdam following a high-intensity final. The last time there was a repeat champion was 2019-20, when Gaël Monfils won consecutive Dutch titles. Since, then, Andrey Rublev, Daniil Medvedev, Felix Auger-Aliassime and Jannik Sinner have lifted the Rotterdam trophy.

On Sunday afternoon, World No. 3 Carlos Alcaraz of Spain, who ascended to top seed when Sinner was unable to defend his title, added his name to the champion’s ring of winners inside Rotterdam Ahoy Arena. He won the 52nd edition of the ABN Amro Open in his tournament debut over World No. 8 and third seed Alex de Minaur of Australia, 6-4, 3-6, 6-2, in an hour and 54 minutes.

In becoming the first Spanish champion in Rotterdam, the second-largest city in the Netherlands – and in also capturing his first ATP Tour indoor title – Alcaraz played brilliant tennis throughout the entire week despite needing to wear a nasal strip to help with his breathing. Although he was pushed hard in back-to-back matches over the weekend, first by World No. 21 and eighth seed Hubert Hurkacz of Poland in the semifinals Saturday evening, then by de Minaur in the final on Sunday, Alcaraz won his first title since defeating Sinner at Beijing last October.

While it’s never easy to find a spot on the tennis court that Alcaraz can’t reach, de Minaur did at various times during the final. After the Spaniard won the 34-minute opening set by taking advantage of a second break of the Aussie’s serve, de Minaur got an early break in the second set and consolidated it for a 3-0 advantage. Soon, he stretched it to 4-1 and went on to win the 40-minute set to force a decider.

At 1-all in the final set, Alcaraz held a tough service game by gutting out a 16-shot rally on game point at 40-30 for a 2-1 lead. Then, a game later, he fell behind 15-30 after netting a backhand volley. However, Alcaraz recovered and won the game to go ahead 3-2 after securing his second ace and winning an 11-shot skirmish with a lunging forehand winner off his back foot. Alcaraz gained a break point on de Minaur’s serve in the sixth game and wrestled control of the final set 4-2 after he broke the Sydneysider, who hit a sixth-shot backhand return long.

Next, Alcaraz backed the break with a strong hold at 15 to move as the hitting errors began to mount against de Minaur. It moved the 21-year-old Spaniard to within a game of winning his first indoor title. There was nothing to lose for de Minaur as he continued to fight. However, Alcaraz proved to be too strong for him on this Dutch winter afternoon. He won the 27th and final game of the title match on his second championship point as de Minaur netted a third-shot return.

By the end, Alcaraz had won his 17th tour-level title. It was his third career triumph over de Minaur and each has come on a different surface – on clay at Barcelona in 2022, on grass at Queen’s Club in 2023 and now on a hard court at Rotterdam in 2025. It was the second time Alcaraz has defeated de Minaur in a title match following the Queen’s Club final two years ago.

Alcaraz finished with 19 winners to overcome his 34 unforced errors. He converted four of eight break points while saving three of five against de Minaur, who countered with 14 winners and made 32 unforced errors. By the conclusion, Alcaraz outpointed his opponents 79-75.

“This week has been a really good week all together,” Alcaraz said during the trophy ceremony, speaking to his team nearby. “Putting in really good work. Coming here [not] feeling 100 per cent well with the cold but after every day I’m feeling better and better. Rotterdam has been a really special week for me. I was going to say not only for the title … yeah for the title as well, but for the support that I received here since the first day.

“It was the first time that I [was] playing here and you made it like I’ve been playing this tournament for a long time.”

Last year, Alcaraz became the first player to win ATP 500-series titles on clay, grass and hard courts. Now, after mastering the Rotterdam field, he’s added his first indoor title to his collection ATP Tour titles, which includes four Grand Slam crowns.

Despite the loss, the 25-year-old de Minaur will move up to World No. 6 in the PIF ATP Rankings tomorrow, equaling a career-best plateau.

“It’s been two years now with this runner-up trophy,” de Minaur said during the trophy ceremony, taking his loss to Alcaraz in stride. “I’m hoping I’ll get my hands on the winners’ one day.”

Rotterdam title is second of season for Bolelli and Vavassori

Italians Simone Bolelli and Andrea Vavassori won their fifth title together as a team – and second of the 2025 season – after defeating Sander Gille of Belgium and Jan Zielinski of Poland, 6-2, 4-6, 10-6, in an hour and 21 minutes. Bolelli secured match point with a cross-court forehand winner from deep in the right corner near the baseline.

Bolelli, 39, and Vavassori, 29, who have competed in three ATP Tour finals this season, improved to 13-1 this season after going 42-20 in 2024. They are 65-29 overall. Their only loss came in the title match of the Australian Open.

Meanwhile, Gille, 34, and Zielinski, 28, who were playing in their third event since forming as a team at the start of 2025 – and first final – fell to 5-3. En route to the championship match, Gille and Zielinski upset No. 1 seeds Marcelo Arevalo of El Salvador and Mate Pavic of Croatia in the semifinal round.

The Italian duo combined to win 77 percent of their first-serve points, converted two of three break points – both coming in the first set – and outpointed their opponents 60-50. They lost just one of eight service points during the match tie-break.

En route to the Rotterdam title, Bolelli and Vavassori won four tie-breaks and one match tie-break.

During the trophy ceremony on court, Bolelli said to the Belgian/Polish team: “Bad luck today, it was a really tight final. I wish you good luck for the rest of the season. It’s a long time, so I think we are going to play more and more times this year against each other.”

Vavassori added: “We started the season in an unbelievable way, in front of our team. It’s a pleasure to share the court with you. My father and mother are watching at home. Thank you to all the fans, it was a great atmosphere. It’s one of the nicest tournaments that I have played. … It was a great week for us, so for sure we will come next year.”

Around the Rotterdam Ahoy

Stephane Houdet, 54, of France won his third Rotterdam wheelchair singles title with a 6-3, 6-4 victory over Anton de la Puente of Spain in Sunday’s final.

By the numbers

Sunday’s Carlos Alcaraz versus Alex de Minaur final, matching the World No. 3 against the World No. 8 was the 17th all-Top 10 final in tournament history, dating back to 1974. Most recently before this year, the last all-Top 10 Rotterdam final took place in 2022 and was won by No. 9 Felix Auger-Aliassime over No. 4 Stefanos Tsitsipas, 6-4, 6-2.

“Quotable …”

“We’re pushing for bigger and better things. It’s been a lot of improvements in my game over the last couple years and I’m going to keep on pushing for more. It’s been two years now with this runner-up trophy. I’m hoping I’ll get my hand on the winners’ one day.”

– World No. 8 Alex de Minaur of Australia, during the trophy ceremony, after finishing runner-up for the second straight year.

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